33
Two days later, Esther and her parents were eating their usual late Sunday lunch in their formal dining room.
“Dad, have you heard from Nick?” Esther asked.
Her father didn’t look up from buttering his roll. “No, and it’s strange as he normally gives me a call midweek. He hasn’t eaten with us for a while.”
God had given her the lead-in she needed. “I doubt he’ll visit for a while.”
Her father dropped his knife. “What are you saying?”
“Nick has broken off our engagement.” Easy words to say but so hard to accept.
Her mother gave a harsh sob and covered her eyes with her hand, but her father bulldozed on. “You mean permanently?”
“I mean permanently.” Why did so many of their recent conversations feel like she was labouring to help an imbecile pick up conversational clues? “He does
