The Greyson Sisters: Charity

Part one FERN November 2003 Fern stared at her sister. Both women, like their two other sisters, had red hair. Each of the four sisters were tall, expect for their little sister, Harmony, and all the sisters, except Harmony -again, had hazel eyes. Harmony's were blue. Their order of birth was Charity, Hope, Fern and then Harmony. Charity might be the oldest, but she had no idea how hard it was to be married to a man that you didn't love. A man that had only married her because she had been born first instead of second. If Harmony had been born first then maybe, maybe, things could have been different. Maybe, then Fern could have found love as well. “Fern?” Charity asked. “I want a divorce,” Fern repeated. “I can't live like this any more. He loves Harmony and she loves him. I am only hurting them. I want him to be free to marry her. I want him to be able to have those babies.” “You could give him children, Fern,” Charity said. “No,” Fern said. “No, I can not. I am barren. I can have no children of my own. I would rather things be different, but that is how they are.” “But, Fern, surely, Jericho still wants to keep your marriage,” Charity said. “He doesn't know,” Fern said. “He has no idea that I can not have children. He says we can adopt, but the truth of the matter is, I don't want children. At least not now. I just want to live alone. I always have. If only Harmony had been born first, I could have had my wish.” “I don't understand,” Charity said. “I thought that you wanted to marry each other.” “Are you crazy?” Fern asked. “From the day that I was born I was raised to be the prefect wife to Jericho MacFay. I was never taught that I might someday be given a great power. I hate the fact that I can help other women get pregnant, but I can't.” “Fern, there is something you need to know,” Charity said. “It's about your marriage to Jericho.” “What is it?” Fern asked. “You can't divorce Jericho,” Charity said. “Our parents, Jericho's and ours, made it so that there can be no divorce. You may live separately, you may stay together, you can even take lovers. There is one thing you can not do and that is divorce.” “I hated them when they were alive,” Fern said as she stood, “I hate them even more now.” As Fern turned to leave, Charity stood. “What do you plan to do?” Charity asked. “There is only one thing left, isn't there, Char?” Fern asked. “Jericho and I will simply have to live separately. I have no choice, do I?” “No one has a choice, Fern,” Charity said. “Some are asked what they want and passed over. Some have a choice and end up making the wrong one.” Fern hugged her sister. “I will always love you, Char,” Fern said. “You always do the right thing.” “Yeah right,” Charity said. Fern let go of her sister. “You do, Char,” Fern said. “Even when we were little, you always knew what to do.” Then Fern left the room. The next day brought the news that Fern had been killed in her own home. The suspect was her surviving husband.