She Steps Out Of Betrayal's Shadow To Rebuild Her Broken Home novel · Chapter 17 of 24
Chapter 17: The Tent at Night
The tent at night smelled of cut grass and wet canvas.
Melinda and Dorothy had come in at nine through the side flap, with a flashlight they never switched on.
They stood in the dark behind the stage riser, between a stack of folded tables and a row of crates of linen.
Dorothy had her good navy coat buttoned to her chin.
"I haven't stood this still since your father's funeral," she whispered.
"Mom."
"I'm only saying."
Melinda took her phone out of her pocket, held it against her ribs, and pressed the red button.
Zachary was a mile away in his truck at the county road, because a judge had told him how far to stay.
At ten the lights came on.
Two sets of footsteps crossed the boards of the platform. One was a man's, and one was a woman's.
"Test the screens," Leland said.
A projector hummed. Light spread across the canvas wall, big and white, and a banner appeared on it.
Happy Tenth Anniversary, Leland and Melinda.
Melinda looked at it between the crates.
"Saturday will go well," Leland said. "A hundred and ten guests. Donors, the board, the bank. I want Mindy on that stage beside me in the blue dress."
"She won't do it," Bianca said.
"She will. I'll hand her the microphone and ask her to say a few words about our ten years. She won't remember one of them, in front of everyone. Then I'll say a gentle word, and the doctor will be waiting at the back. She'll sign the retreat consent in front of a hundred people."
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