ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ON EARTH
Chapter Eight
Chippewa Falls
1913
Rose and Jack were fighting, as usual. Rose
had a temper, which meant she was pregnant—this time with one baby.
"Why can't we have a normal
conversation?" she asked.
Jack's reply was, "Because every time I
start a conversation, you twist it into some argument."
"No, I don’t!" she replied.
"You see? You just assume I am trying to start trouble and turn it into an
argument!"
Nicole heard the fight and toddled out of her
room. Rose picked up Nicole, got their clothes, and slammed the door, leaving
John and Jack by themselves.
Hotel Outside of Chippewa Falls
Rose sat down on the bed with Nicole. She was
thinking about what Jack and she had just done. This was the first time she had
left. She had threatened before, but they would always resolve things somehow
and be happy.
She was trying to think of what she would do
when Nicole said her first word.
"Daddy."
Rose gasped.
For the next two days, Nicole kept saying
that word. "Daddy."
Meanwhile, Jack and John were at home. Jack
was trying to figure out what to do after what had happened.