The Decks and the Road
book 1- Freeborn
The Final Chapters- Chapter 37
Dr. Kat Shepherd- The two biggest decisions I ever made, I never had to
make. They just naturally felt
right. One was to remain a virgin, and
the other was to accept Tayeton’s proposal.
I’d never considered Christmas Eve, but there he was on one knee. I’d always had a vision for my life, and I
was doing a pretty good job at making it real.
I can’t say I’d seen Tayeton coming, but he was no compromise. The last three years were easy and fun. I’d brought most of the fun, and he was
easy. The subject of my virginity hadn’t
come up; not one time. It’s not that I
was afraid to approach the issue; it’s just that the issue never got big
enough. Neither of us had been in a hurry, and our
growing careers helped us to redirect our attention. Then there was Christmas Eve. It was like the moment he’d placed the ring
on my finger, all my hidden apprehension melted away, and I was ready. I had assumed that he would be ready whenever
I was ready, but he’d suggested we wait.
I didn’t think his suggestion would be so unwelcomed, but it was. Now, I’m waiting, but not like before. In all my past relationships, I always felt
that I was being waited on. Now I was in
a different position, and not one that I enjoyed. I didn’t bother to ask how long the wait
would be. I assume it will happen on our
wedding night which we’ve set for June. Needless
to say, I’d never known what ready meant until ready was the elephant in the
room. Luckily, I always had enough work
and leads to keep my mind occupied, and I was still trying to piece together my
last assignment. Every time I thought it
was falling apart, something brilliant would happen. I still only had two names, and I was waiting
to see how they would interact. One was
Wells and the other was Burrows. I knew
Veronica was connected somehow, but it hadn’t revealed itself as yet. I’d taken a gamble on her. She was still holding on to her story, but
she’d shown enough remorse and a higher level of consciousness than the one
that had gotten her in prison. Still I wanted
to work with her. I knew I needed to get
her out, and into my office where I could expand the direction of my questions. It was the only way to breakthrough to the
other side of the events that she’d cemented into her head. I’d made it part of my recommendations, and
she continued to come in faithfully. It
was a tough road with her though, because she had areas of her life that she’d
completely taken off the table. She
never said it, but it was apparent.
Still, I never neglected to count the least bit of progress as progress,
and the more I did, the more she was beginning to trust that I could help
her. In fact, last week she talked about
her daughter. She never mentioned her
name, and she chose not to share it with me, but it was a huge opening. None of the information really seemed all
that important until she shared a dream her daughter shared with her when she
was about nine or ten years old. I was
sure not to make my interest obvious to her, and continued on with my
notes. It was both the dream and the text I’d
received from Monica that made it significant.
I’d received a message a week prior that read, “The key to your puzzle
is in the dream of a ten year old.” As
always, I hadn’t responded, but I also didn’t give it a second thought. When I heard Veronica recount the dream, I
was almost in tears, but I held on to them until she left. It was the moment I realized how cold I’d
been with Monica. I’d shut her out. I’d thought of her smaller and mostly
insignificant. Still she never seemed to absorb any of it, or hold any of it
against me.
I’d continued to think about Monica, and it was the first
time in a while that I was looking forward to seeing her. My dad had called to make sure we wouldn’t
miss Sunday dinner. I could hear the
excitement in his voice. There was
something he wanted to share with the family.
I knew family meant Monica would be there, and he made sure to emphasize
that. We’d never had a fight or
anything. She just thought I was full of
myself, and I thought she could do better than reading palms. The more we held on to our idea of each other
they solidified, and eventually we just kept our distance. I also thought she could do better than the
man she was with. Honestly, that was the
biggest body of water between us, and I knew better than to step into it. We all did.
Anyway, I thought this would be a good opportunity to get things back on
the right track between us, and I tried to convey that with a text, “See you on
Sunday.” She didn’t respond, and it was
no incident, except I was accustomed to getting responses. Still I trusted that my intent had been
received.
When Sunday came, I awoke full of excitement. Something told me that whatever my father had
to share was big. At first, I thought
maybe it was a new engine, but in my gut I knew it was more. Yet the energy was good, and I knew I didn’t
have to be guarded. Tayeton and I were
the first to arrive. The door was
unlocked and we walked right in. When we
entered the den I was stunned. I stood
still trying to put together what was unfolding. Tayeton was moving around the room. He’d already greeted my mom and dad, and was
now shaking hands with a man who looked like a close relative to my
father. I could hear my father
introducing the man as his brother Nathan.
It wasn’t the man that kept me at a standstill. It was the woman with him. It was Ms. Felix.
“Don’t be shy Kat. Come on over.
Meet my brother and his wife.” I
tried to recollect my father having a brother, but I couldn’t. I was sure there would be some crazy story to
follow about how they’d connected, and I was eager to hear. I’d made note of my father’s use of the word
wife, and I wondered if they’d gotten married.
I moved in to greet my uncle, and received a big hug. I moved on to Ms. Felix and tried to
calculate in my mind whether it was safe to acknowledge that I knew her or
not. She quickly answered that question
with a sheepish, “Pleased to meet you.”
Her exterior was cold and her smile was painted on like lipstick.
“This is Erilyn, my wife.” I saw his pride and I knew that they’d been
married. A few moments later Monica
showed up. I looked on intently as everyone
went through nearly all the same motions for the second time. It was also the first time Monica was meeting
Tayeton. I didn’t know if she would
recognize him or not. After all she’d
informed me that I would meet someone, and then we’d met, but she didn’t seem
to know him. At dinner the conversation
was vibrant. My father and Nathan never
shared about any mysterious connection, but rather talked a lot about their
father and things that happened when they were younger. Monica and I glanced at each other
repeatedly. We both wanted the story,
but neither of us was willing to disrupt the good times. We talked, and laughed, and a couple of
times, I could see that Erilyn had let her guard down. It was usually when she forgot, and the
moment she remembered, I could see her begin scanning the room. I hadn’t thought of it before, but she was
starting to remind me of someone I knew.
It was so apparent to me, and yet I couldn’t put my finger on it. I tried not to take long glances at her, and I
just kept stealing glimpses. Eventually
my father turned the conversation to Nathan’s daughter—commenting that he
couldn’t wait to meet her. I was
surprised to learn about her, and asked to see a picture. My uncle was happy to share and reached into
his back pocket for his wallet. He
pulled a picture out, and passed it along the table. Tayeton was the first to view it, then me, and
then Monica. We were all still talking
and commenting when I heard the words,
“What about your accident?” She
was still holding the picture in her hand and her attention was directed to my
uncle.
“What accident?” I could see that he
was confused.
“Monica.” My father quickly
responded while shaking his head.
Everyone at the table was puzzled by her outburst. Everyone except my father. He’d never been surprised by her questions
and outburst—even when we were younger.
I’d experienced enough of them to know not to question them. I centered my attention in front of me, and
tried not to add to any of the shock. My
mother had gotten up and started clearing the table. After a few more quiet moments and blank
stares, Tayeton and I started in on our good-byes.
When we
pulled up to the house, I saw that I’d received a text from Monica. It read,
“What does the name William mean
to you?” I didn’t
respond. I knew that the answer was for
me and not her. (Click on the image for a clearer view)
Freeborn, a novel
Freeborn
© Grace Call Communications,
LLC
Copyright © 2017
by Natisha Renee Williams
All Rights Reserved
Comments
Post a Comment