Risa took the first step out of the kitchen. 揑抦 sorry I抳e upset your life.?
揟hen why do this??Stella asked.
揃ecause when I left Kentucky, I made myself a promise that no one, no matter how much I loved them, was ever going to tell me how to live my life again. That includes you, Mama. It抯 been a bad example for my girls, and I don抰 want them to grow up thinking that anyone has that kind of power over them,?Risa answered. 揚aul had his antlers and deer heads all over our trailer, even in our bedroom. I was supposed to keep them spotlessly clean, but he was the king of our double-wide. He and his mother made the decisions, and I was supposed to be the submissive wife.?
揥hy did he kick you out? Were you having an affair??Stella eyed her carefully.
揑 wasn抰， but after the twins were born, I decided I didn抰 want more children. My body belongs to me, not Paul, so I took birth control pills. That抯 a no-no in the Jackson family. Kids are blessings from God. Mother Martha had half a dozen sons, and each of those, other than Paul, are still producing kids every year or two. According to her, I cheated Paul out of a son, and was an abomination to God for using birth control. When Paul found my pills, he took them to his mother. They made a family decision to excommunicate me,?Risa said.
Stella crossed her arms over her chest. 揔ids are blessings from God, and you should have obeyed your husband抯 wishes.?
揃ye, Mama. We抣l be gone by the time you get back from Lulu抯 place.?In one respect, Risa抯 heart felt heavy with even more grief. Twice now, her daughters had been uprooted. In another way, she was relieved to leave her mother抯 house, where she and the girls had as many strict rules as they抎 had in Kentucky. 揧ou抳e got my phone number if you change your mind about seeing the girls or if you need anything.?
揑 don抰 need or want anything from you,?Stella said.
揧ou aren抰 proud of me for standing up for my rights??Risa asked around still another lump in her throat.
Stella shook her head. 揂 woman抯 responsibility is to her husband. I took care of this house and your father for forty years and never wanted more.?
揋ood for you.?Angry tears flowed down Risa抯 cheeks. She heard the back door slam when her mother left, and then another one at the front of the house echoed that noise.
揌ey, need some help??Lily asked as she came into the foyer from outside. 揗y stuff is already in the back of the truck.?
揧es, I do.?Risa smiled through the tears.
Lily hurried across the room and wrapped her arms around her mother. 揑t抯 okay, Mama. We got through Granny Martha抯 hissy fit, and this one isn抰 nearly as bad as some of hers have been. I love the idea of living with Haley. She抯 cool, and Daisy and I can help her out with whatever she needs to pay our way for letting us live there.?
Daisy came into the room and made it a three-way hug. 揑 heard what Lily said. I抦 really, really happy about not living next door to Granny Martha or right in the house with Granny Stella. My things are in the truck. Let抯 get you all packed and ready to go. We didn抰 realize it at the time, but not being able to bring so much with us from Kentucky was a blessing.?
Out of the mouths of babes, Risa thought.
Chapter Four
What a way to start off a new month,?Jessica said and wished that Wade would drive faster. No one ever saw a police officer on the back county roads, and Risa needed her support right then. Time and distance had nothing to do with the kind of friendship she and Risa, Haley, and Mary Nell had. It didn抰 matter that she hadn抰 seen them in years; they were just as close as they抎 been when they were high school cheerleaders. And Stella had kicked Risa out of her house that day. What kind of mother did that? That her mother-in-law had gotten her underwear in a twist and told her to leave Kentucky was one thing. That her mama抯-boy husband hadn抰 backed her up was another thing, but for a mother to tell her own daughter to leave and never come back梩hat was totally inexcusable, and Jessica had to go comfort her friend.
揟he good always comes with a little taste of the tough going. If it didn抰， we wouldn抰 appreciate the easy times nearly as much,?Wade replied. 揟hat抯 what my mama always said.?
揝o did mine,?Jessica said with a nod. 揥e knew this would happen when Stella found out about the bar, but I didn抰 expect it to be today.?
揥ord has it that she really didn抰 want Risa to come back to Riverbend when the Jackson family kicked her out, but she couldn抰 say no. This is actually a blessing for Stella. She抯 got an excuse to be the martyr, and she gets rid of two teenage girls and a daughter that she抎 rather have living a thousand miles away,?Wade said.
揌ow do you know all this??Jessica asked.