I ball my hand into a fist under the table as I keep my smile plastered across my face.  I pool all my strength and hold back my anger, which is burning inside of me while I force myself to talk in a soft tone.  “Don’t worry about this, Walter.  I’ll get my son to agree to the wedding.  You don’t need to worry about anything.  Just make sure your beautiful daughter is ready when the time comes.  There isn’t anything that will stop us from finalizing our agreement.” The middle-aged man, with flecks of gray sprinkled throughout his dark brown hair, sighs and places his napkin on his lap.  “I don’t know Chet.  Your son wasn’t even willing to talk to us, and what is this about his wife?  I thought the whole drama at the wedding was something you setup and Connor was in on it.  It sure didn’t look like it from the way he was acting.” My idiot son is ruining my plans again.  The last time he acted out, I was grateful s

I lay down on my bed and look up at the ceiling as images from earlier flash through my mind.  What am I going to do?  Can I really live with Connor so close? Why do I keep debating this?  I know all he has to do is look into my eyes and I’ll say yes.  I roll over and look at the clock.  1am and I still awake.  Ugh…  I sit up and rub my aching arm around the bandage from where the IV had been earlier.  One of these days, I’ll be able to not have to rely on them.  That will hopefully be at the same time that I can stop visiting the psychologist too.  If only I had some kind of button which I can push and everything would magically be resolved, I would be happily push it.  However, I have to do this the old-fashion way, by myself.  I pull the covers back and get up out of bed.  My legs still a little wobbly, but I’m gaining my strength back.  I shuffle through

I slide on my gardening gloves and lay the mat down on the ground. As I look at the rose bed, my mind isn’t here.  Instead, it is still stuck on last night and the kiss.  I still can’t believe I didn’t stop him, but who am I kidding.  When it comes to him, all I have to do is look into his eyes and I lose all will to fight him while my body wants him to relive that night in Vegas. There has only been one other person in my life who somehow has had the same ability to make me bend to his will.  I only met him that one day on the school business trip.  We kept in touch for a while through our phones, but when I accidentally broke my phone, it was so badly damaged that I couldn’t get into it to retrieve his number and I couldn’t remember his number.  I didn’t have money right away to get a new one. Our short, little relationship ended as fast as it started.I glance up toward

I watch helplessly as Connor carries Deanna upstairs.  My heart aches every time I see her like this.  Ryan nudges my arm.  “Is she like this all the time?” With my eyes still on Connor’s retreating back, I shake my head.  “No.  But it was the two-year anniversary of the babies’ death recently.  She gets like this around this time of year.” From the end of the table, my mother sighs.  “We don’t want it to get too bad this year.  We didn’t think she would be that bad last year, and we waited, but we almost lost her in the process.  We will not let that happen this year.” From beside me, Cliff adds, “The sessions would have already begun if Dr. Davis didn’t have something else already scheduled.  To make it easier on Deanna, he has agreed to come to the house and do the sessions here.” When Connor disappears around the corner, I turn my focus to Ryan.  “I’m hoping Connor’s presence will also

Chet POVI look at my wife.  She has her back facing me as she stands at the edge of the balcony and looks out towards the back of our property.  She still has the phone to her ear, but she has said nothing for a few minutes now, nor has she moved. I walk across our bedroom and stop at the door.  “Honey, what did he say?  Did you convince him?”She takes a deep breath and pulls the phone away from her ear.  “He said he would think about it.  It appears he is still a little soft and emotional when I mentioned the fact we can’t even pay for our utilities.”A smile erupts onto my face. Yes.  I knew he would come through for me.  How could I ever doubt my son?I launch forward and rush towards my wife.  With a huge grin on my face, I hug her from behind.  “Thanks for talking to him, honey.  I knew you could get him to agree.&nb