Mother's Day Read Online Free PDF

long driveway to their house. Back when they were first married, Greg and Karen had bought their home, a run-down old Colonial on one of the prettiest pieces of land in town. In the ensuing years the surrounding property had been subdivided and dotted with new houses, but their house was still relatively secluded, with many shady trees and no near neighbors. Greg had renovated the house with loving care over the years. Occasionally they talked about moving, but they doubted they could ever find a like piece of land or a house with the character of the one they had.
    Greg helped Karen out of the car as if she were ill, guided her up the path with a hand on her elbow, and opened the front door.
    “I might go lie down,” Karen said. She felt chilled despite the pleasant warmth of the day.
    “All right,” Greg said sadly. “Why don’t you. Can I bring you a sandwich or something?”
    “I’ll get something later.”
    “I’m sorry,” he said again.
    “Don’t you be sorry. You were just trying to give me a nice day.” Slowly Karen climbed the stairs to their room and changed into some comfortable Sunday clothes—jeans and an old sweatshirt. She placed the locket in a drawer in her bureau. The photo of Jenny smiled up at her, bright and eager. Karen winced as if jabbed. Don’t take it to heart, she kept telling herself. It seemed to take all of her energy to lie down on the bed. Once she had pulled the comforter up over her shoulders, she dropped off into a dreamless sleep.
    Sometime later she was awakened by the sound of the front door slamming and then of loud voices from downstairs. For a minute she hid under the covers, the painful rejection washing over her again. Finally she dragged herself up and went downstairs, her slippered feet quiet on the steps.
    “I told you how important this was,” Greg was saying, his voice clipped with rage. “I think I made it very clear. Your mother has been through a lot lately. All I asked of you was one happy, pleasant day to make her feel better. But no, you couldn’t manage that.”
    Jenny’s small face was white, her freckles livid against the skin, and her blue eyes were glittering with anger. “I can’t believe this. You start screaming the minute I come in the door, like I’m some kind of criminal.”
    “What do you expect? You behave like a selfish little…I don’t know what. You don’t think of anybody but yourself.”
    “Nobody around here even gives me a chance to speak!”
    “Stop yelling,” said Karen, standing in the doorway to the living room.
    Jenny turned and looked at her mother. For a minute a guilty look flitted across her features. Then she stuck I out her chin belligerently. “He started it,” she said.
    Greg shook his head in disbelief. “Nothing is ever your fault, is it? You’re the poor, put-upon one. Did you ever give a thought to how your mother might feel?”
    “Of course I did,” said Jenny defensively. “But Peggy wanted to go to the movies, and she wanted me to go with her.”
    “Oh, I see,” Greg said sarcastically, “Peggy wanted to go. Well, what choice did you have?”
    “Forget it,” said Jenny.
    “Did you stop to think we’d be worried about you?” Karen cried. “Why didn’t you at least call and tell us where you were going?”
    “I knew you’d say no,” said Jenny.
    “That does it,” said Greg.
    “Does what?” Jenny demanded.
    “Have I got this right?” asked Greg incredulously. “You want to do something and if you think we’ll say no, you just do it anyway and don’t tell us?”
    “No,” said Jenny with a sigh. “I didn’t mean that.”
    “You damn well better not mean that,” Greg exclaimed.
    “I knew you would be like this,” said Jenny wearily.
    “Jenny, for God sakes, how do you expect us to react?” Karen demanded in a shrill voice. “What are we supposed to think when we don’t know where you are or what happened to you?”
    “Don’t say it,” said Jenny, mimicking a