Two Rings, One Heart. Martha Mason

come to cause any trouble.”

      “Just like that, Mitchell! You decide to drop by after ten years! Excuse me for not expecting you!” Her temper flared.

      “I was afraid to call. I figured you’d refuse to see me,” he admitted.

      Megan surveyed the visitor. His dark brown hair was tousled, as usual, with a bit of gray around the edges. He was wearing gray slacks, a white shirt and a red print tie. Not even close to the former dress of this man. He looked very fit and handsome. Her eyes met his. She looked for signs of alcohol, but saw only sadness. “Why are you back?”

      “I couldn’t stay away any longer. It was time to come back,” he said softly.

      “As always, you’ve only thought of yourself,” she snapped. “You come and go when it suits you. You don’t give a thought to how it will affect anyone else.”

      “Is that what you think?” he asked, looking disappointed.

      “What else should I think?”

      “That maybe I’ve changed. That I love all of you. That I need to see my family.”

      “Maybe we don’t need to see you. All you’ll do at this point is disrupt the children’s lives and upset them. We’ve gotten along fine without you so far.”

      “I know it seems selfish, but I need to see them,” Mitchell said quietly.

      “They aren’t here. You could stop by again in ten years or so.” She lashed out like a whip, and saw him flinch.

      Before he could recover, the kitchen door flew open. Zack and Jess came hurrying in. Both stopped short at the sight of the man in the kitchen. Momentarily, Zack stared, then he rushed into his arms. “Dad!” The two held each other tightly, and time seemed to stop.

      Jess stood back watching, obviously horrified.

      After a long moment, father and son relinquished the hold they had on one another. Mitchell took his son’s face in his hands. “I missed you so much!”

      “I missed you, too!” Zack exclaimed, tears rising in his eyes.

      Mitchell turned to his daughter. “Jessica, I’m your daddy,” he said gently.

      “Don’t you touch me!” Jess said distastefully, giving him a cold stare.

      Zack nudged her. “Jess, it’s Dad!”

      She shook her head, her eyes daring him to come near her.

      “Maybe I should go,” Mitchell said.

      “Why don’t you stay for dinner?” Zack asked suddenly.

      Now it was Megan’s turn to look astonished.

      Everyone was unsure how to proceed. Then Jess brought things to a complete standstill. “You’re not my father and you never will be.” She sneered. Her words had the same effect as a slap across the face. She looked at the hurt expression on Mitchell’s face, then ran to her room.

      “She didn’t mean it, Dad,” Zack said, trying to salvage the moment.

      “She meant it. I don’t blame her for feeling that way. I’m a lousy father,” Mitchell admitted, discouraged. He turned to leave.

      Zack looked to his mother for help. “Mom!”

      Megan couldn’t imagine how it would feel to have your child completely reject you. For a moment she felt sorry for Mitchell. Zack was giving her a pleading look. “We have plenty,” was all she could think to say. Not exactly an invitation, just a statement of fact.

      Mitchell glanced at her. Then he looked at his son.

      “Please, Dad. Don’t go,” Zack begged, flinging himself against his father in a crushing hold.

      Megan watched the tender scene, heard them both sniffing. It was too much for her. She slipped out the back door and sat on the steps, trying to grasp the implications of this unannounced visit.

      Before long Zack came out and sat beside her. “Mom, please don’t be mad.”

      “I’m not mad at you,” she said calmly.

      “Can Dad stay for dinner?” he asked.

      Megan put herself in Mitchell’s place. It was a very grim picture. Zack wanted his father to stay so badly. She touched her son’s cheek. “Dinner will be ready soon.”

      “Thanks, Mom,” he said, hugging her and dashing back inside.

      A few minutes before Megan put dinner on the table, she went to get Jess from her room. “Dinner is almost ready,” she said, entering the bedroom.

      “Is he staying?” Jess asked from her prone position across the bed.

      “Yes. Zack wanted him to stay,” her mother admitted.

      “Then I’m not coming down,” Jess said defiantly.

      “Dinner will be on the table in five minutes. Be there!” Megan ordered, leaving no room for compromise.

      She put everything on the table before she called everyone, thinking the less time spent with Mitchell, the better.

      Zack came into the kitchen with Mitchell close behind. They sat down in silence. A few minutes passed. Mitchell dared to speak. “Isn’t Jessica joining us?”

      “She’ll be here,” Megan stated confidently.

      Within seconds Jess came in and took her place. Megan bowed her head and blessed the food. Then they proceeded with the meal without a word.

      To break the hush, Mitchell asked Zack, “What subjects are you taking in school?”

      Zack seemed relieved to have something to talk about. “English, Spanish, biology and calculus. I’m doing pretty good, but I’m having a little trouble with calculus,” he said, and went on describing his activities.

      Jess occasionally peeked at Mitchell, while Megan seemed to be involved in creative food arranging. Time dragged as they waited for a reasonable amount of time to pass. At last the ordeal was over. The dishes were collected and put in the sink.

      “May I be excused?” Jess asked, then escaped to her room.

      Megan began washing the dishes, glad for something to do.

      “Could I give you a hand?” Mitchell offered.

      “No. I can do it by myself,” she told him quietly.

      “Let me show you the farm,” Zack said, leading his father outside.

      Megan tried to get a grip on herself while they were gone.

      When the guys came back twenty minutes later, Mitchell tried to ease the tension. “That was a delicious dinner,” he complimented Megan. “You’ve really got the farm looking great.”

      “Thank you,” Megan said, wiping the counter for the ninth time.

      Behind Megan’s back, a look passed between the two males. “I have a lot of homework. I guess I better go do it. I’ll see you soon, Dad,” Zack said, giving his father a hug, then hurrying to his room.

      Suddenly Megan found herself alone with Mitchell in a silence that was deafening. She went over to the kitchen door and stood beside it.

      Taking the hint, Mitchell started for the door, then stopped before her. “You look wonderful,” he said casually.

      “Thanks. Well, I guess we’ll see you in another decade or so,” she said curtly, letting him know it was past time to go.

      “Megan, I’m moving back to Bedford,” he divulged.

      She stared at him in disbelief. She felt like someone had knocked the air out of her.

      “Could I ask you a question?” he asked humbly.

      She