#58
4Mark and the boys arrived home as Woody's car pulled in the drive. Tess and the boys were thrilled to have him there. As he explained, he had to leave Sunday afternoon after church, and hoped Tess and the kids would come with him.
Tess nodded, ready to be a family again in their own home. Woody had a surprise for her. He had found and had installed a wood stove in their modern house, as a present for Tess. A present that she cherished for the thought and love involved.
He's so much like Dad, she was thinking. "I'm so excited," Tess whispered to Woody, as they hugged for the third time. "Can you stay overnight? Or do you have to go right back?"
"It would be best if I went right back, the world is a volitive place right now, I just missed you so much, I came to see if you would come home." Woody spoke low and private.
"Yes, I will; we will. Give me ten minutes to gather up stuff and we can go."
Woody had to hear the story about the scummy man, and he internally frowned. He didn't like the idea of exposing Tess and the boys to a vagrant, but he understood the family dynamics enough to know their Christian principles wouldn't be undeterred.
Tess and the boys were ready, lots of sniffles, teary eyes, handshakes and hugs and the limo took them away.
"I wasn't sure what they had was real": Don spoke up at the supper table that night, "I was beginning to think she was the stupidest woman on the planet."
Clora looked up and frowned in his direction, and then sighed. That was the truth, but the way Don said it felt so raw.
Mark gave Don the evil eye for disturbing his Clora, and Milo and Toby deftly removed the two pie plates from either side of Don, giving him a non-verbal sign of dissaproval.
Don knew his was not a popular theory, but it was the truth.
Milo and Toby pointedly removed the next to the last piece of pie, and then offered the pans to Mark and Gary./
Don quickly got the message and shut up. Just because he was the youngest and truthful, didn't give him the license to upset Ma.
As far as Clora was concerned, it was a wonderful evening. Even if Tess and family were gone, the family would be attending church together tomorrow morning. That gladdened Clora's heart to joy abounding.
Supper was over when there was a knock at the door. In burst the 'unknown Eugene'. "I need papers from my coat," he yelled. "Now you are all gonna die like you did to my father."
Be foe pistols could be drawn to shoot and stop the crazed man, he detonated the suscide bomb strapped around his middle.
The resulting blast destroyed the brown clapboard house and all the people inside.