Pretty enough?

Laura looks at her watch, noting that it was almost noon. Gathering up her papers to put away until after lunch, she prepares to leave and go take care of Jamie’s place.

Just as she’s getting ready to stand though, her cell phone rings. Rolling her eyes, she opts to answer it. “Hello? Oh, hi, Beth. Hmm? No…” Laura furrows her brow. “Well what…. No, I didn’t. …I see…” A cold chill runs down her spine. “No, no, I’m fine. Yeah…. Probably not. I don’t foresee any problems, no. It’s alright. ….I appreciate it, Beth. Thanks. Yeah, I know we have to get together and hang out – maybe one of these weekends we’ll do that. Okay….yeah. Thanks. Bye.”

Laura flips her phone shut and just sits in still silence, forgetting about meeting Nate. She’d known this would probably come up eventually, but it didn’t make it any easier. …It would be fine…it meant nothing…. She couldn’t be paranoid about it.


Carson hits the button on the copy machine, lazily waiting for the copies of the list he’d made for Reese. The room right off the main floor was quiet, and he paces in boredom, waiting for the machine.

“Carson!”

His eyes widen as he hears Reese coming down the hall, and he’s tempted not to answer, but thinks better of it. “Yeah?”

Reese storms into the room, holding up a printout of an email. “What were you thinking?!”

Carson’s defenses rise. “What did I do?”

Reese scowls at him. “I just heard from Andrew – he said you replied to his email that questioned about what he should do.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Carson!” Reese’s exasperation increases. “You told him to take the guy out!”

Carson crosses his arm, his own scowl forming. “Well Andrew said the guy that was interfering with his case was Mark Daniels, and I knew he was from the Agency!”

“But you don’t tell our men to kill somebody!” Reese lets out a sigh. “That’s not the way we work around here. I would think you’d know that by now.”

Carson grits his teeth, not knowing if he felt more irritated or guilty. “Well what else was he supposed to do? Mark was in the way!”

“There are other ways to handle things,” Reese retorts. “Andrew was smart enough to ask me before he actually took any action, so we’re fine, but next time, just tell them yes or no that someone’s from the Agency, and I’ll handle the judgment calls, alright?”

Carson turns back to the copy machine.

“Carson! Do you understand?”

“Yeah, alright, I get it!”

Reese sighs and turns to leave. “Thank you.”

Carson rolls his eyes as the copy machines indicates a paperjam. Just what he needed.


Cindy stares at Austin, her eyes filled with fear for what was to come. She’d heard nothing of Jason’s trial yesterday, but had refrained from asking, trusting that no news was good news. But now…the look in Austin’s eye warned her otherwise. “…it’s Jason, isn’t it?”

Austin shifts in his seat at the table in the mess hall, glad for the emptiness, but also wishing he wasn’t alone for this. “Cindy…hun…they found him guilty.”

Cindy sucks in her breath, the shock hitting her hard.

Austin reaches over to take her hand. “He was sentenced…with forty years in prison.” He adds quickly. “But TJY is doing all it can. We know this is the Agency’s work, and we’re going to get Jason out.”

Cindy’s eyes fall downward, her mind not wanting to believe what she was hearing. It didn’t feel real. Jason…her son…the young man that had meant the world to her since he’d been born…he was now in prison.

Numbness settles over Cindy and she withdraws her hand from Austin’s. She says nothing, but stands, and slowly walks to the door, exiting the mess hall.

In a fog, she steps off the porch and walks with no destination in mind. She wanders aimlessly into a nearby pasture that hadn’t been grazed yet, the tall grass coming halfway up her legs.

Plodding forward, she finally stops a ways away from all the buildings. Looking up to the sky, she can’t help but ask God why. After a few moments, Cindy falls to her knees, her head bowed, her hands coming to her face that refuses to cry.

The past plays like a movie in her mind. She’s taken back in time to high school…being rejected by her family…breaking out on her own. She remembers holding Jason for the first time…he’d been so small. Something she had feared so much, but seeing those tiny fingers…those bright eyes…she had known from that moment, that no matter how scary the future, it would be worth it.

Life as a single mom had been hard. Extended family helped every once in a while, but for the most part, she was on her own. Then when Jason had been abducted, her world had come crashing down around her. It was a horror she’d never imagined, and never wanted to experience again. After that, Austin had come, introducing her son to a new journey in life…one that gave him purpose. And slowly…slowly, she had begun to let go, seeing her son become and independent young man.

Yet today…today, all Cindy felt was the longing to hold her little boy in her arms again. To shelter him from life’s storms. To protect him from this unfairness. But she could do nothing.

Cindy folds her hands in her lap, her head still bowed against the warm wind. Almost hidden in the grass, she stays, begging for God’s comfort, begging Him to take care of her son…begging Him to take away this pain.

Her mind wanders to her own future. She was to be married in two days. It didn’t feel fair that she was finding such happiness, while her son was in prison, possibly facing the best portion of his life behind those unforgiving bars.


Dan nods to Jamie, giving her a smile. “Nice to meet you too, young lady.”

Con grins at Jamie’s teasing. “Nope, but if there was any zoo I’d want to be at, it’s this one.”

Mindy shyly takes Jamie’s hand, while Haley hangs back, clinging to Con’s leg. At Jamie’s question, they nod, Mindy giving an enthusiastic “Uh-huh!”

Con looks down at Jamie, beaming at her interaction with the kids. As he studies her eyes, he sees a peace…a strength…more than what was there before. Texas had been good for her.

Breaking the stare, he lays his hands on the girls’ heads. “Alright, you two. How about we take Jamie in the house, hmm? She’s gonna need all sorts of help settling in. And then, Mindy, I’ll help you with your pony after lunch.”

Mindy and Haley take off running for the house.

“Take your time, Con.”

Con looks up to his uncle, unsure if he’d said something or not. “What?”

“I said take your time.” Dan waves him away. “Lunch is soon anyway, and it’s getting hot out here. We can start up work on this roof again in the morning.”

Con knew Dan really wouldn’t have quit early if it hadn’t been for Jamie’s arrival, but he also knew that his uncle didn’t mind a bit. “If we get a bright and early start tomorrow, we should be able to get the rest of the plywood on and start with the metal.”

Turning to Jamie, he slings an arm over her shoulder and aims her for the house. “I don’t know how much Laura told you, but my other cousins are Jake, who’s ten, he’s Mindy’s brother – she’s six, by the way, and they have another brother Seth, who’s nine. Then there’s the next set of kids, Keith, also nine, then Michaela, ten, and the oldest of the cousins, Eric who’s sixteen and Lydia who’s fifteen.”

Con counts down on his fingers as he talks. “Then you saw Haley and she’s five, and she’s got a baby sister, Sadie who’s just sixteen months old.” He chuckles, knowing that it sounds like a lot. “Their parents are all on a vacation together, and Dan and Paula – that’s my aunt – offered to take the kids for a few weeks. All three families are home-schooled, so they had no trouble taking time out to come here.”

Halfway to the house, there’s a sudden cry. Con looks up quickly, seeing Haley sprawled out on the porch, Mindy trying to pick her up. Haley’s crying indicates that she’d just tripped and fallen.

Letting go of Jamie, Con jogs the rest of the way to the porch, getting down to the little girl’s level. “Hey, kiddo, what happened?”

Haley sits up, grabbing her knee as the tears pour down. “I…I twipped….and fell down…” She hiccups as the sobs continue.

Con gently removes her hands from her leg and sees that she hasn’t even broken the skin. Apparently she’d just bumped her leg on the way up the steps. Giving her a smile, he scoops her up in his arms and plants a kiss on the “boo-booed” knee. “That better?”

Haley sniffs and shakes her head.

“No?” Con looks at her sternly, with a gentleness in his voice. “You just want me to tickle you, don’t you?”

Haley’s eyes widen, her tears slowing. “Uh-uh.”

“Ooh, but I’ve got you now,” Con teases. “You can’t get away that easy.” He swings Haley down upside down and begins to tickle her.

Shrieks and giggles mix together as Haley fights her big cousin, her terrible injury now a forgotten. “Let me go!” she yells between giggles.

Con laughs and swings her back around upright, setting her back on her feet and giving her a light spank. “Better get in the house before I give you another round.”

Still giggling, both girls race into the house, the screen door slamming shut.

“Girls, I told you not to slam the door!” Paula calls loudly from inside.

Con cringes and looks back to Jamie. “Rule number one – obey grandma Paula.” He can’t help his grin as he nods to the door. “Come on in.”

As the two enter the house, Paula looks up from her work in the kitchen, leaning back just far enough to see through the doorway. “Con, is that you?”

“Yeah.” Con takes Jamie’s hand and leads her into the kitchen. “Aunt Paula, this is Jamie. Jamie, Paula.”

Paula gives Jamie a warm smile, and wipes her hands on her towel to come and take her hand. “How nice to meet you, Jamie. I apologize if things are a bit crazy around here. With nine grandkids to attend to, it gets that way…not to mention a nephew who likes to stir things up.” She throws a look up to Con.

Con holds up his hands in innocence. “Don’t look at me. They ask for it.”

Paula chuckles, her eyes twinkling as she glance back to Jamie. “Don’t ever let this man fool you. He’s a teddy bear.”

“Hey, is that your girlfriend?”

Con’s eyebrows shoot up as he turns to see Jake in the doorway, who was staring at Jamie. He crosses his arms casually. “Well what do you think?”

Jake squints at the two, seeming to contemplate an answer. “Michaela said you were kissing.”

Con can’t help his laugh. “Oh, did she now?”

Michaela suddenly appears beside her cousin to elbow him. “Jake, you weren’t supposed to say anything!” she hisses.

“Well you did say it!” he defends.

Con gives Michaela a suspicious glance. “You weren’t supposed to see that, you know.”

Heat rises to Michaela’s cheeks. “Well, I….it…”

Con’s eyes narrow at the two. “Do you think she’s pretty enough to be my girlfriend?”

Both kids take just a moment, then nod quickly. Con looks back to Jamie, then back to his cousins, his voice hushed. “I think so too.”

Michaela giggles and approaches slowly, still looking at Jamie. “Hi,” she greets shyly.

“Jamie, this is Michaela,” Con explains, “And that turkey over there is Jake.”

“Hey!” Jake crosses his arms in a pout. “I’m not a turkey.”

“You will be if your grandma tells me to come check your room and it’s not clean,” Con warns with humor.

Jake’s eyes widen. “It’s almost done!” Spinning around, he speeds down the hallway where more chatter can be heard.

“And tell the others to clean up for lunch!” Paula calls after him. She rolls her eyes, then looks to Con, unable to help her smile. “You never mentioned this friend of yours, Con…”

Con returns a sly glance. “You never asked.”

Paula smirks at him. “I hope you’ve invited her to stay.”

“I have.” Con slips his arm around Jamie’s shoulder again. “She can have the room I’ve been in, and I’ll join the boys in the basement.”