Grandma sat down at the head of the table. “Everyone, eat please.”

“Grandma, I was thinking that with us here that’s five rooms you’re not collecting on and five mouths to feed. I think I’m going to get another job to help out.”

“Madison, you already work a full time job and you clean here ten hours a week, that’s help enough.” She shot a look of warning at her daughter. “And don’t even think of suggesting my granddaughter go work at that obscene place again, Emma.”

Candy pouted. She hated being called Emma and she hated not getting her way even more. She threw a fit when Madison declined the job offer. She’d really been looking forward to her cut.

Grandma pointed a finger in Candy’s direction. “I looked the other way when you started working there, but when you tried to bring my granddaughter there,” she shook her head in disgust. “You’re lucky I didn’t throw you out on your backside then and there.”

“But, mama, I was just trying to help.” Candy’s pout deepened.

Grandma narrowed her eyes on her only child.

“I wish Ephraim was here,” Joshua mumbled.

“Has he called?” Jill asked, jumping on the change of topic.

“No, can we talk about something else, please.” She pushed her meatloaf around her plate.

“Did you try his cell phone?” Chris asked, drawing her attention.

Chris looked so uncomfortable. His clothes were already too small and worn. They looked even smaller after two weeks of eating properly for the first time and a growth spurt. He needed new clothes and she didn’t have the money. He didn’t complain though. He probably knew. She would have to get another job to keep clothes on his back. Jill and Joshua clothes were in the same condition as Chris’s. They all needed new clothes. Great now she felt even more depressed.

Grandma’s eyes roamed over all three children’s state of clothing as well. Her frown deepened. This was bad, but Grandma was in denial and she did what she always did when something unpleasant occurred. She tried to hide her feelings from everyone and move on, dragging everyone with her.

“Everyone please leave her alone and finish dinner. Chris and Jill, you both have dish duty tonight.”

“I thought you loved me, Grandma?” Chris pushed his lip out in an expert pout.

Grandma reached over and pinched his cheek. “Oh, it’s so nice having a con artist join the family.” He winked at her and reloaded his plate like a good boy. That and he was probably afraid that she was going to whack him again. Madison considered it for a moment and agreed that she probably would.

“He’s been gone for over two weeks you know,” Jill decided to comment.

Madison pushed away from the table. “If you’ll excuse me I have some papers to grade.”

“You have a big mouth!” Chris snapped.

“It’s fine, really. Goodnight, guys.” She took her time walking upstairs. She was in no hurry to hide in her room and cry herself to sleep again tonight.

He broke her heart. There was no other way to describe it. The area around her heart ached day and night for him. It felt like a part of her was destroyed.

She paused in front of her door and looked back at his when she heard something. She could see the lights were off in his room, but weird noises were coming from inside. She couldn’t fight the hope that soared to the surface. She turned around and raised her fist to knock on the door and froze.

“You like that, baby, don’t you?” a woman asked.

A man grunted. “Mmm, I’m going ride you all night, big boy.” Realization dawned on her. The weird sound was the bed springs squeaking.

She put her hand over her mouth. “Oh god.” Tears spilled down her face.

“Mmm, these handcuffs were a good idea,” the woman said. “I can keep you on your back and up all night.” A loud masculine moan erupted.

“Do you like f**king my ass?” the woman asked.

“Yeah,” he groaned.

Madison stumbled back to her door, crying. She slammed the door shut and threw on the light. “What an ass**le,” she muttered.

“I completely agree. Now if you don’t mind some of us are trying to sleep.” Ephraim flopped over onto his stomach.

Madison’s head whipped back into the direction of his room and back at him. “If you’re here then who’s-“

“In there f**king the transvestite prostitute?” he finished for her.

“Yes…wait, did you say transvestite?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Ephraim, who’s in there?”

“Just the guy who’s been blackmailing you for the last four months. After tonight you’ll never have to worry about him again and you’ll have all your money back. Now, could you shut that light off? That prick’s kept me up the last two nights.”

She looked stunned. “You have Joshua’s father in there? Wait, he’s not g*y.”

Ephraim buried his face in the pillow and laughed. “No, he’s not. He also doesn’t know that she’s a he. He also doesn’t know that I have a camera in there right now with night vision that’s capturing this momentous occasion. He will know very soon what’s going on. Before he leaves here he will sign custody of Joshua over to you and your grandmother.”

“Why..how….I don’t understand.”

He flipped over onto his back. “It’s simple I had the bank account traced to one Trevor McGuire who resides in New Mexico. I did a little check on him, married, two children at home but he has custody of three children. I did a little more research and found out that Candy lost custody of Joshua when he was six months old.”

“She didn’t even show up for the court date,” Madison whispered.

“That’s what I found out. They kept him for four months until his wife put her foot down. She couldn’t handle two little boys of her own plus Joshua. So, Trevor pawned Joshua off onto a few relatives, but none of them were willing to keep him. Finally he gave Joshua to your mother while retaining full custody.”

“I didn’t know that part.”

“I figured. When Candy was eager to move here for the free ride and welfare she forgot one very important thing.”

“She didn’t have custody and she never asked permission to take Joshua out of the state. She probably figured Trevor would never notice. He hadn’t seen Joshua in five years.”

“But he did find out. Your mother, even though your grandmother was under the assumption that she had custody of the kids, attempted to get welfare on the kids’ behalf. New Hampshire contacted Trevor and Trevor hunted you down and threatened to take Joshua back and put you both in prison for kidnapping.”

“He had no case against me and he knew that. He wanted money though.”

“And you were to pay twelve hundred dollars a month until Joshua hit eighteen.”

“Yes.”

“And you really thought that was going to work?”

“I was trying to buy time until I figured out what to do. I can’t lose him. He’s more than a brother to me. I’ve raised him. I couldn’t give him up.”

“So, that’s why you put yourself in such a large hole. You didn’t want to lose Joshua?”