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hadn’t said one word to him, unless you counted the curt answers she’d given him when he asked her certain questions. It was as if the only words she knew were yes , no , maybe , and whatever .
    So, this morning he’d left as soon as he could and now here he sat, trying to gather his thoughts and waiting for the nervousness in his stomach to settle. He was starting to feel as though he couldn’t cope, and that nothing in his life was right except the love he had for his son. He was actually beginning to feel depressed, and suddenly he wished he could talk to his father. Hear his voice and maybe ask him to pray for him and Racquel—ask his father, the wisest man he knew, for some good solid advice about his marriage. His father hadn’t been the best husband to any of his three wives, including Matthew’s mother, but nonetheless, his father had still been able to advise other couples with sheer excellence.
    If only Matthew had the courage to pull his phone out and call him. If only he could find the words to say to his dad after all this time. But he couldn’t, because his pride wouldn’t let him. He couldn’t just give in to his parents so easily, because they’d done too much. They had caused a massive amount of pain and humiliation in his life, and they didn’t deserve to hear from him or ever see him again. Matthew wrestled with his decision, but then it dawned on him: he had to stay away from his mom and dad because if he didn’t, they would soon start causing problems for MJ. That was the one thing he flat-out wouldn’t tolerate.
    Matthew relaxed against the headrest, weighing his troubles back and forth, until there was a knock at his window. It was Nicole Jordan, a gorgeous woman who was seven years older than he was and the same age as his big sister. She must be five foot ten and didn’t wear more than a size eight. Her clothes always fit her perfectly, and married or not, a man would have to be blind not to notice her.
    Matthew rolled down his window. “Hey, good morning.”
    “Good morning,” she said, smiling. “Is everything okay?”
    “Why do you ask?”
    “Because you’re sitting here with your eyes closed, and you’re never here this early.”
    “Got a lot on my mind.”
    Nicole glanced at her watch. “You want some company?”
    Matthew unlocked the passenger door. “Sure.”
    Nicole went around to the other side of the car and got in. “So what’s wrong?”
    “Everything.”
    “Wow, that’s a lot.”
    “You’re tellin’ me.”
    “You wanna talk about it?”
    Matthew rarely shared his personal business with anyone, let alone one of his coworkers, but if he didn’t open up to someone he wasn’t sure how he’d make it through his work day.
    “My marriage is a mess, and I’ve never been more unhappy in my life.”
    “Gosh, I’m really sorry to hear that. Have you told your wife how you feel?”
    “Yeah, but she basically couldn’t care less. All she does is sit around the house, day in and day out.”
    “What about your son? I mean, is she a good mother to him?”
    “Yeah, actually, she’s too good.”
    “I guess I don’t understand.”
    “He’s all she cares about, and she doesn’t think anyone else can take care of him. She doesn’t even like it when I take him places. She’s a nervous wreck from the time we leave until the time we get back. She calls my phone every fifteen minutes.”
    “That’s not normal.”
    “You’re telling me.”
    “Have you tried to get her some help? At the very least, the two of you should see a marriage counselor.”
    “I agree, but I’ve already suggested that to her, and she’s totally against it. Says she’s fine and nothing’s wrong with her.”
    “Being married and unhappy is tough. I was married once, so I know how it feels.”
    “Really? How long were you together?”
    “Hmmph. The quick answer is: too long. But we were actually married for five years. Our situation was a lot different from yours, though. I