Chapter 18

Josiah's black SUV pulled up to the little house on the same side of town as Rossalyn's apartment was. He glanced over at Rossalyn who had an expression of someone who was going to meet the judge for sentencing. He knew she was nervous about the confrontation that was about to occur. She'd told him that while Sarah and her got along for the most part, it would be a bit of an exaggeration for them to be called friends. Josiah hoped that Sarah would see the motive behind what they'd done rather than the means on how it was accomplished.

They got out of the vehicle and went to knock on the door. Rossalyn had the manila envelope that contained the title to Sarah's vehicle and the pieces of jewelry that Roger had tried to sell. Sarah answered the door looking frantic.

"Have you seen Roger? I've been trying to get in touch with him since I got up this morning. He didn't come home last night." Sarah's voice was trembling with fear for her husband and Rossalyn felt her heart ache.

"Yes, I've seen Roger. Can we come in to talk?" Rossalyn asked gesturing to Josiah and herself.

"Where is he?" Sarah demanded though she moved to the side to let them enter the house.

"Lets have a seat and we'll tell you everything." Josiah said and gestured to the dining room table he could see from the entry way.

Sarah led them to the table and once they were all seated she demanded her husband's location once again. Rather than give her the location Rossalyn started explaining what had been going on with Roger for the last several months. She made it sound as if she'd been meeting with Josiah to discuss her brother's situation for much longer than they actually had, through careful phrasing. She'd pushed the manila envelope over to Sarah when she'd reached the part about him trying to sell her jewelry and car. She ended with explaining that they'd gotten Roger to agree to go to rehab, though they wouldn't disclose his location to her. By the end of the explanation, Rossalyn could see Sarah shaking with emotions ranging from fear to anger. She was crying and holding her face in her hands. Rossalyn couldn't imagine what she was feeling and didn't really know what to do for her.

Sarah eventually calmed down enough to stop crying, though it took several minutes. Rossalyn and Josiah had sat patiently, allowing her however long she needed to process her emotions. Josiah reached out and took Sarah's hand and brought her attention to him.

"You don't have to worry about the ability to pay your bills or get the things you need. I will take care of everything until you guys are back on your feet again. We're going to be family and thats what family does." Josiah said gently.

"How am I supposed to let him come back home after everything he has done?" Sarah asked Rossalyn, tearfully.

"That isn't my call. I can't tell you to take him back. But whatever you decide, you're still my sister, Sarah. You are the mother of my niece an nephew. Let him come home, or kick him to the curb. That is your choice and I will support you either way. But people who have no reason to stay clean, rarely will. If he knows you guys will be waiting for him when he gets out, it'll give him something to fight for. He got addicted to gambling and he got in very deep debt. But the program has been known to be successful and having a support system when he gets out can help him stay that way." Rossalyn told her taking the hand Josiah wasn't holding in her own.

"I want what will be best for my children. They will be old enough to remember what he is doing eventually and I don't want them to be harmed from their father's demons." Sarah said forcefully.

"If the program works, you'll have the man you married back. They'll have their father and everyone can move on. If it doesn't, I'll be here to personally kick his ass out of the house. Deal?" Rossalyn asked meeting Sarah's watery eyes.

"Deal." Sarah said with a shakey smile.

"Now, about the wedding......" Rossalyn said and then went into the details that Josiah and her had agreed on up to that point.

Rossalyn knew that after the news that she'd just sprung on Sarah, it wouldn't hurt to give her something possitive to look forward to in the near future. Sarah and Roger's three year old twins have been secured as the ring bearer and the flower girl, much to Sarah's delight. Sarah has agreed to be there and help Rossalyn get ready for the wedding. Strange though it seemed, it may end up being that everything that Roger had just put them through would end up making them closer than they ever would have been on their own.

Josiah and Rossalyn left Sarah about two hours after they arrived. Sarah promised to bring the kids for dinner that evening and to hang out for a while. Once back in the SUV Rossalyn felt like she had taken a huge load off her chest and relaxed into the cushioned seat. They took off toward the city instead of back toward Josiah's house. She looked over at him questioningly and without her having to ask him verbally, he smiled at her.

"We are headed to my favorite spa. I don't know about you, but I could use a massage." Josiah said.

"Buttering me up for something?" She asked suspiciously.

"Something like that." Josiah coceded but refused to elaborate when questioned.

When Josiah and Rossalyn arrived back home, it was just in time for more wedding planning to round off the afternoon. She'd had to stand and have the final adjustments made on the wedding dress that she grudgingly conceded that she did like, though wished it wasn't so poofy. The caterers arrived with the samples of menus that she and Josiah would have to pick from and after tasting the examples finally agreed on the menu for the wedding. They quickly agreed on the cake design and flavors and Josiah sighed happily.

"That was the last decision we have to make for the wedding." He told her with some relief.

"Seriously?" She asked in disbelief, peeking over his shoulder to look at the list and grinned up at him when she seen the whole list checked off.

"Now the next few days everyone can just get everything set up here and we just gotta stay out of everyone's way." He told her pulling her into a hug. He smiled down at her when she didn't immediately stiffen and pull away from him.

"That is my idea of a good time." She assured him as the door bell rang through the house announcing the arrival of Sarah and the kids.

"Lets go have a good time with these kiddos, eh?" Josiah asked grinning broadly at her before taking her hand and leading her from the dining hall to the front of the house where Sarah and the kids were waiting.