Sarina pulled herself to a more erect position. She dried her eyes with a big handkerchief Hannah handed her. “You think I can do that? Is there a lake nearby?”

“It doesn’t have to be a lake. It can be anywhere where you’re alone and feel that you can let it all out. Or you could write your feelings, write letters to Zachary, letters you’ll never mail. Tell him how you feel, all of it, your anger, your pain.”

“I can do that easier than screaming, I think. I will try the writing first. I will do anything to ease this terrible, terrible pain in my heart.” She grabbed Hannah’s hand and squeezed it hard. “How could he do this to me, to our baby? He said he loved me. How could he love me and do this to me? What did I do wrong?”

“You did nothing wrong. Zachary brought you here to his home, knowing that there were unresolved issues with his father, issues that went back to his childhood and that have nothing to do with you. It appears that he always stuffed his feelings. Perhaps the trauma of his accident on the mountain triggered old memories and emotions from his childhood.

“The problem was, he exploded at an inappropriate time, with the cows being carried off, and in front of strangers, and Max overreacted. He wishes he had handled Zachary differently, that he had stayed calm and not flown off the handle, but he didn’t. Zachary, it appears, did what he’s done before. He ran away rather than confront the situation.”

“But I am here. He didn’t have to run away from me.”

“My dear, Zachary’s been running away from his problems for a long time. When he first got home, when you were pregnant, did he sit down and talk to his father, talk about his concerns, his work, what he hoped to do and why? No, he chose to disappear, to go off gambling.”

Sarina nodded. “Yes, he did not consider how I might worry about him. He is quite self-centered and immature.”

Hannah stroked her arm gently. “We make choices as to how we handle life’s problems, and who gets through life without problems? Some people face things head-on. Zachary, I’m afraid, runs away. I’m sure you knew this about him. You’ve probably tried to change him.”

Sarina nodded.

“You can’t change him. No one can change another person. I wish it had been different, that he could have taken the help offered him.” Hannah shrugged. “He wanted land, not affection or understanding. You could not fix him no matter how hard you tried.”

“Will he come back, do you think?” Sarina asked.

“I don’t know.”

“What will I do, Hannah?”

“You’ll stay with us, focus on your baby, and heal from this shock.”

“It will be all right with Max for me to stay?”