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up. I mean, he’s mentally capable and all that, but he’s had some
serious drug-related problems. He’s been away for years. In fact, I hardly
recognized him when the police brought him in for questioning. He’s so. . .changed. The drugs and alcohol really took a toll on
him physically.” Here, her voice broke.
    I joined
her in her pain. Oh Father, help her. Help them all. My hand instinctively
reached out to grab hers. “Oh, Janetta , I’m so
sorry.”
    She
closed her eyes for a moment, as if trying to drive the whole thing from her
memory. “It’s water under the bridge. But apparently Jake—we call him Jakey —was hanging out at the bank late at night a
couple of nights in a row, hoping Kristina would come by to make a deposit. He
wanted to see if I’d take him back, since he’d sobered up and all. Least,
that’s what he says.”
    “It’s the
truth, Mama, and you know it.” Kristina’s eyes reflected her pain.
    I didn’t
dare ask Janetta if she would have taken him back.
None of my business, though the ache in my heart grew by the moment.
    Her face
tightened. “I just don’t see how they can continue to hold him. There’s no
proof he took the money. In fact, they never found a penny on him.”
    “Doesn’t
make sense then.” Did I just say that out loud? Do I really want to narrow down
the list of suspects this quickly, especially with my husband still at the top
of the list?
    A look of
frustration set in. “They’re saying he probably rigged the night deposit box
somehow, and then got to the money before the bank opened the next morning. But
how could someone so—messed up—manage such a thing?”
    “And
where did the money go?” Kristina threw in. “It’s not like he’s got a hotel room
or some fancy car to hide it in. He’s got nothing. No one.”
    “Have you
asked them that?” As I shifted my gaze between both women, I could almost feel
their pain.
    I didn’t
think Janetta’s face could tighten any more, but it
did. “They’re saying he did it to get even with me for kicking him out when he
was seventeen.” A hoarse laugh erupted from the back of her throat. “They
didn’t believe me when I told them I didn’t kick him out. He ran off. On his
own.”
    A lone
tear rolled down Kristina’s cheek. “We didn’t know where he was for years. I
prayed for him every night.”
    A lump
the size of Mount Rushmore grew up in my throat.
    Janetta rose from her chair and walked to
Kristina. She leaned down and kissed her daughter on the forehead as she
whispered, “We’re just glad he’s back. And we’ll prove the police wrong if it’s
the last thing we do.”
    And I’ll
help you. I gave her hand a little squeeze. “I surely didn’t mean to pry into
your family business. I had no idea the man they’d been questioning was related
to you.”
    She
shrugged and the strangest mixture of emotions ran through me. Complete
relief—as I realize Jake’s arrest probably let my husband off the hook,
at least temporarily. And complete heartache—as I realized the universal
pain of a mother agonizing over a wayward child.
    I
garnered up all the determination I could and turned my attentions back to the
weddings at hand.
     
     
     

 
    Chapter Five
     
    When you’re
the mother of twin girls, you don’t have to join a gym or purchase fancy workout equipment from infomercials to stay in shape. Just
following around after the little darlings—and their laundry—will
do the trick. Add a young son to the mix and you’ve got a
Why-do-I-need-to-do-sit-ups ?- I’ll-just-chase-the-kids-around-the-park-to-get-my-exercise
kind of mama.
    For
years, this strategy appeared to be working. Thanks to good genes (kudos,
Mom!), fairly healthy eating habits, (I’ll have the salad, please, with low-fat
dressing) and an active lifestyle, (Who would’ve guessed I’d learn to play
football with my husband and son?) I’d managed to stay in shape.
    Until
recently.
    I could
blame it on pre-menopause, but