BOOK 6

Jill took Joey’s wet clothes off in the laundry room. Some pajamas she’d folded were lying on the dryer and Jill snatched them up, deciding it wouldn’t hurt if he ate breakfast in his Bugs Bunny jammies just this once. Not taking him upstairs to dress now would mean she could sit at the table with him and finish feeding Holly while he ate. That way she could be with both of them at the same time.

Joey seemed to have forgotten last night’s troubles as she swiftly dressed him, then led him back to the table.

‘Can . . . can we watch cartoons?’

‘I don’t see why not.’ Jill flipped on the TV and settled pn the plank seat with Holly. Joey dug into his cereal, completely imconcemed. She sighed with relief. Truthfully, she’d worried how he would act when he foxmd his father had left. But he didn’t say a word, and she realized that Dustin was usually gone by daybreak so the routine was simply familiar to Joey. He didn’t ask what was wrong with his grandmother, either. Jill thought that since sh