Sample Sunday ... Dissolution: A Marriage in Crisis

It's been a while since this blog saw some action, but despite that, I've been majorly busy. This weekend saw the re-release of an oldie but goodie, Dissolution, which was previously with a publisher. It's a story that's dear to my heart and the picture below captures the essence of the major plotline. A sample is also posted below.

Justin was the last drop-off, as usual. When he stood outside the van, he slung his knapsack over one shoulder, slid the door closed and said, "Hold on, Mommy."

He walked around the front of the vehicle and stood beside the driver's window.

"I know," he said.

She tried smiling. "What d'you think you know, Justin?"

"That boy is Daddy's son."

He moved the knapsack to his other shoulder. "He looks too much like us not to be. Plus, both of you are acting weird, which tells me something big is up."

Sherryn gripped the wheel and waited for her throat to open up, but what could she say? She couldn't deny the truth, and refused to lie to her son. Not that he'd asked a question. Justin had made a simple statement of fact.

He hugged her around the neck and kissed her cheek, right there in the driveway with students passing them both ways. Then, he murmured something in her ear that he hadn't told her in a long time. "I love you, Mommy."

Tears stung her eyes and wet her cheeks, but she answered. "I love you too, baby."

 She lowered her head, ashamed of breaking down in front of him.

Smiling despite the sorrow in his eyes, Justin patted her shoulder. "Things'll work out. You'll see."

She cupped the side of his face, blinking to clear her vision. "Thanks for being my bestest son."

 He grinned at their oldest, corniest joke from when he was her only child. "And you're still the bestest Mommy in the whole of Jamaica."

He walked away, reminding her so much of Reece it hurt to look at him. Justin liked to consider himself a roughneck, which made him cool among his friends, but Sherryn was acutely aware that the little boy in their home had experienced the harshness of life firsthand, having lived in the ghetto.

Justin knew nothing of that life and probably couldn't imagine the hardships that came with living hand-to-mouth. Still, his attitude told her he had matured and would someday be a considerate and sensitive man.

She rested her head on her hands, working out her next move. It didn't take long before she found a stopgap that would clear her mind for a while.

Dissolution is available on Amazon and Smashwords, among other places.