Here to Stay

Dog trainer Sissy Workman loves her husband Elijah but hid one truth from him for years out of fear he will leave. Their first born is not his. Sissy jilted someone else before marrying Elijah, but learned she was pregnant after they wed. Now he knows he did not sire their oldest when the child needed a transfusion and his blood type is unacceptable. He is outraged for several reasons including the omission she kept from him and he wonders what else she concealed. As their anniversary comes up, Sissy fears her failure will end their happy family as Elijah increasingly acts distant. Using reverse engineering, Margot Early tells the back story of the relationship between Sissy and Elijah and to a lesser degree their children. Thus the story line is character driven as Elijah struggles with what he believes is a betrayal of their trust while he and his spouse look back over their time together. Although the technique adds freshness, the use slows down the present day plot of vying for the Westminster Dog Show or fleeing to lick his wounds. Harriet Klausner