Christmas Therapy

Heather rolled her eyes. “Letters don’t change the past.”

Her sister raked her fingers through her hair. “No, but they can help explain why. Maybe we’re not meant to understand. We were too young. We didn’t understand marriage or relationships. Mom and Dad are people too. They were young once and perhaps their choices weren’t the best.”

Heather rested her elbow on the passenger door, cupping her forehead in her palm. This was not her family. Her mother never kept secrets like this from her. Why?

She wouldn’t fall for it. Her father made his bed. He left, and she would not open her arms and welcome him home.

Lies. Lies surrounded her like mountains around a city. First Allen with his wife showing. She never saw it coming. She’d dated businessmen, mechanics, and even musicians, but a married man was out of the question.

Her heart felt as if it was shrinking. How stupid could she be to fall for him? She thought she knew him. Didn’t he share his most heart wrenching moments with her?

Her heart clenched when he shared the loss of his mother. When they went antiquing, all tension left her body. How special she felt holding his hand. The way his eyes caressed hers. He’d been so close to kissing her. The heat crept up her back, her nerves firing all at once.

They would never see each other again. Her vision blurred, and she covered her face with her hand.

“Heather? I’m sorry.”

She waved away her sister’s comment. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

Heather needed to be alone. She wanted to escape the sadness. The soreness in her throat increased. She wouldn’t cry again tonight.

Sonia pulled her car into her driveway. “You need help getting inside?”

Heather unclicked her seatbelt and opened the passenger door. She didn’t say another word to her sister.

“Heather?” Sonia tried again.

Heather didn’t answer and staggered to her front door. Once she shut the door behind her, the tears flowed. So much for not crying. She stopped by her couch, only to cover her face with her hands as she sobbed. Her eyes stung as she broke down. This happened when she trusted, and from the looks of it, her own family was no different.

Allen was no different either. Was he telling the truth? Did his ex-wife surprise him with her news? He wouldn’t deceive her. Would he? She couldn’t be sure at this moment as her body trembled. Reclining on the couch, she buried her face in one pillow. She beat her fist against the couch.

Wasn’t she opening her heart to the possibility of love? Love. She couldn’t win with it. Was it supposed to hurt this much? If this was love, Heather wouldn’t be strong enough to handle it. Wiping her cheek, she sniffled.

Not to mention, her family kept a life changing secret from her. Her mother and father were reuniting. How was she supposed to handle that? What did she even call her Dad? She hadn’t had the privilege to call him father since he left. It was too late for that, anyway. She had bigger problems to figure out.

Chapter 24

Allen helped Mrs. Weiss along with her husband into the passenger side of their suburban. Her husband shook his hand and Allen waved goodbye to them both before going back inside the therapy facility. He wouldn’t see Heather today.

She requested someone else, and this time his supervisor approved it. Checking his watch, Allen’s lunch break was near. Grabbing his keys and coat, he headed out for the deli downtown, inhaling the yeasty bread when he opened

the door. He took care to buy a sandwich for his father and dropped a few coins in the tip jar on the counter before he left.

With one hand on the wheel, he drove to his father’s place. He hadn’t told Desmond Crystal was back. He could only imagine what his cousin would think. Cutting the engine, he carried the bags inside his father’s house.

“Pop?”

No answer.

He continued into the living room only to see his father engrossed in another one of his shows. CSI: Special Victims Unit.

“Dad, I brought lunch.”

His father waved and Allen gave a slight smile. Bringing over a food tray, he set his father’s lunch beside him.

“You okay?” his father asked.

Allen watched as the credits rolled on the screen. “Sure.”