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cooking has fallen to me.”
    “That’s how we used to be. But in the last couple of months, things have been a lot better.”
    “I’m so glad, Brenda. I didn’t want to pry, but I’ve been concerned. You seemed very depressed. It reminded me of how I felt during my divorce. You look so much happier now.”
    Brenda reached over and gave her a hug. “Thanks for caring, Kim. Now that I think back on what happened, I can see that things hadn’t been great between Steve and me for a long time. But we really started to fall apart about the time Jessica and Justin went off to college and Steve got so busy selling real estate. His new agency kept him away from home constantly. I’ve learned that I need my husband to spend quality time with me. Steve simply didn’t have any time to give. That hurt me so much that I withdrew from him into myself, and nothing could make me feel better.”
    “But you were remodeling your basement—painting it all those wonderful colors and—”
    “None of that helped,” Brenda interrupted, holding up a hand to stop Kim. “Trust me; things were bad. I got to the point where I was down all the time. I didn’t even feel like I could pray. Steve and I … well, we were in trouble. But things turned around, thank God. And I mean that literally. You and the other ladies came over to help me.
    Steve finally began to understand that I missed him and needed time with him. I saw that I had pulled my love and support away right when he needed it most. I hated his job, and I resented the long hours he put into selling houses, but I realized I had to change my attitude if I wanted to hold our marriage together.”
    “It looks like you sorted everything out.”
    “Well, we’re working on it. We still have a long way to go. Sometimes Steve gets busy and ignores me. Sometimes I still withdraw from him. But we’re making a real effort to forgive the past and support each other. I’ve been joining Steve for dinners with his clients, and he’s become very enthusiastic about my interest in interior design. It surprised me that only just now is he beginning to appreciate what I’ve been doing all these years. Plus, we bought the shops in Tranquility, and we’re working to revitalize the strip.”
    “I’ll bet that’s drawn you closer together.”
    “It has, and it’s added some stress to our lives. But we’re doing pretty well with the problems that crop up. I’m sure there will be more rough spots to come, but I pray we don’t let our guard down. Neither of us wants to allow things to get that bad again—ever.”
    “That’s a good way to look at it.” Kim watched Lydia cannonball into the water next to her brother and come up laughing. “My first marriage was a nightmare. When Joe started hitting me, I knew I had to get out. He refused to acknowledge the problem, and nothing I tried helped at all. It took a long time—and the help of some good friends—before I accepted the truth, but there was no room to work on a relationship that threatened my life.”
    “I’m sure things are different with Derek.”
    “Like night and day,” Kim said. “He’s the most loving man I ever met. He treats me so well, and the twins adore him. It hasn’t been easy on him, either. He’d never been married before or spent much time around kids. As an only child, he had to work pretty hard to get out from under his mother’s wing. Miranda is a nice woman, but she kept Derek on a tight rein, so he focused his attention on getting through college and then working with the Water Patrol. Luke and Lydia can be a handful, but Derek is wonderful with them. Last night, he came home for supper, and we were all upset over Luke’s health. Brenda, you won’t believe this. … Derek had us sit down at the table, and he prayed for us.”
    Brenda’s mouth parted in delighted surprise. “Oh, Kim! We’ve been asking God for this to happen. How wonderful!”
    “I was shocked. But he did it as if it was almost