Emma's Secret: A Novel

between her paws, while Emma stared at something in the distance, not shown in the picture. There was a peaceful look on her daughter’s face. Megan could see why Alexis liked it so much.
    “You take great pictures. Maybe you should add a camera to your Christmas list?” Megan thought about the new camera hiddenaway in the upstairs closet. She couldn’t wait to give it to her and hear the excitement in her voice when she opened the gift.
    “Thanks,” Alexis mumbled. She lowered her head and tried to hide her face behind her hair as it swung forward.
    The atmosphere in the kitchen was full of energy. Daniel and Hannah were shouting at the television in the other room, while Sheila was humming to herself at the counter. Emma kept checking the clock on the microwave while Laurie tried to distract her.
    Megan poured herself a small glass of white wine and refilled both Laurie’s and her mother’s glasses as well. “Why don’t you sit down for a few minutes, Mom?”
    Sheila wiped her hands on her apron and reached for the glass. The doorbell rang at the same time.
    “Do you want me to get that?” Peter asked.
    Megan shook her head. “I’ve got it.”
    The doorbell rang again just as Megan grabbed the doorknob.
    Jack stood on the other side, wearing his Sunday best, from what she could tell. He held a box, and from the way he shuffled it in his hands, he looked a bit nervous.
    “Jack.” Megan opened the screen door. Butterflies took off in a dizzying pattern in her stomach as she worked on keeping her smile in place.
    Jack’s fingers whitened as he tightened his grip on the box.
    “Thanks for inviting me.” He cleared his throat before his focus dropped to the box.
    There was an awkward moment of silence. “Are Kenny and Doug okay being home alone today?”
    Jack shrugged. “I dropped the boys off at the retirement home. There’s a game of bingo playing, and Kenny wanted one last chance at winning the pot.”
    Last month, Doug and Kenny had moved in with Jack. Peter had mentioned to Megan one night that the only reason he’d held out for so long was due to their morning coffee dates. It didn’t take a genius to figure out Jack felt he needed an excuse to continue seeing Emma, and he thought that was the only way—to be at the donut shop every morning. After a little bit of coaxing on Peter’s part, Jack had invited his friends to move in.
    She was about to look inside the open box, to see what was so important to him, but there was a look on his face that stopped her. “Is Kenny getting worse?”
    Jack shrugged. “Not sure he’ll make it to Christmas.” She caught the bright sheen of tears in his eyes and knew it was time to change the subject.
    “Jack.” She needed to say this before anyone else came out, especially Emma. “I’m glad you could accept our invitation. This is Em’s first Thanksgiving since she’s come back, and it was important to her…” That didn’t quite come out the way she wanted.
    It had been a hard battle for Megan ever since that day when Emma had run away to the donut shop. The last thing she wanted to do was accept Jack as part of Emma’s life. She’d been livid with Peter, and it had taken many counseling sessions before her anger had subsided.
    Emma needed Jack in her life. He helped stabilize her, and his presence in her life created a sense of security. He was her grounding. As much as Megan hated it, she had to accept it. It would have been better if Peter hadn’t gone over her head and allowed the relationship to grow, but in order to keep a solid front with the girls and to rebuild their marriage, Megan swallowed her pride and put her daughters’ interests ahead of her own.
    Emma and Peter continued their dates with Jack, and Megan tagged along a few times, until, at the urging of their counselor, theyinvited Jack to join the family for activities outside the donut shop. It started with trips to the beach and out for ice cream; then Peter invited Jack over to watch a football game; eventually, he began to come for Sunday dinners.
    Whether she wanted it or not, Jack was now a part of their lives. And to be honest, he was growing on her. She kept her distance at first, not really interacting with him much other than the polite basics. But it was as if Emma knew her hesitation, and she did everything she could to bring them closer.
    Jack shook his head. “Megan, I know inviting me wasn’t your idea, but…” His voice choked up, and he didn’t