spooky.”
His hand reached out for me. “I searched a long time in antique shops for everything in here,” he said, as though that explanation alone should suffice.
“I felt for the energy until it was right. There were some things I wasn’t so sure of.”
The pleasure shone on his face. I took the hand he offered and proceeded into the room. I ran my free hand over the furnishings, stopping in awe in front of an antique rocker covered in a beautiful brocade.
For several long moments I stood before the chair. Then my glance found Chance and I sat, closing my eyes. This was my chair. Flashes of me sitting there rocking, Jeremy kneeling at my feet, came to me, Jeremy’s smile, his hand touching mine, his love. Oh God , I thought, what’s happening to me ? I was afraid. This was not a dream. I didn’t know what it was.
I wanted to get up, take the chair, and run. I wanted to beg Larry to come home, to take me to the doctor for that physical he wanted me to have. And maybe I would spend some time in an institution. I believed now I needed it.
“Michelle, it’s okay, take it slow.” Chance’s arms were around me, holding me simply to comfort me.
“I have to go,” I said as I stood up. I need time to think about this.” He stared at me. “I need to call my husband. I feel I’m losing touch with reality and you’re the reason, Chance.”
Larry sat in his assigned seat, surprised that Michelle had remembered to get him a window seat. The way she’d been acting lately, as though she didn’t care, he half expected to find himself seated in the middle of two strangers. Instead, she’d gotten him a first class seat.
He didn’t know if that was a good sign or not. He pressed his head against the glass. If he were not a forty-six-year- old man he would cry. Something was wrong with his marriage.
That was an understatement. Something was terribly wrong with his marriage, had been now for over eight months. Ever since Mick had hit the old lady with her car there had been a cloud hanging over them.
It was the first time in their marriage that they’d screamed at each other, saying hurtful things. Mick going to visit the woman had been out of the question.
He had been trying to protect her. But since then she’d looked at him with, if not hatred, intense dislike. He wasn’t the enemy. He was her protector, always had been, and always would be. He hoped.
Larry could barely wait to be airborne. He wanted a drink. He could feel the fear eating away at him and needed something to dull the ache. He was aware that in first class he didn’t have to wait, but to have a drink before the plane took off would be an act of desperation.
And he didn’t want to admit to desperation. The most he would admit to was despair. He missed the easy relationship he’d always enjoyed with his wife. Michelle was his life. He loved her more now than he had the day he married her.
Sure, there were some things lacking in their marriage, but he’d done his best to ignore them and for the most part it worked. If only he were able to make his wife feel the passion for him that he felt for her, their lives really would be perfect.
He leaned back in his seat, grateful for the quick takeoff and the even quicker drink put into his hand. He downed the scotch in one gulp, the smooth liquid going down to the center of his pain and setting his stomach ablaze. He rang for another. The thought that his wife was falling out of love with him would undoubtedly require every ounce of booze on the plane.
When the second drink went down, he allowed himself to relax, glad that he didn’t have anyone sitting next to him to disturb his train of thought. All he could think about was Michelle, the woman he loved, had loved for over twenty-eight years. He had no idea how he would live without her.
She was the only woman he’d ever made love to. He’d been too afraid as a boy. He’d been ridiculed and called names, shuffled from place to
His hand reached out for me. “I searched a long time in antique shops for everything in here,” he said, as though that explanation alone should suffice.
“I felt for the energy until it was right. There were some things I wasn’t so sure of.”
The pleasure shone on his face. I took the hand he offered and proceeded into the room. I ran my free hand over the furnishings, stopping in awe in front of an antique rocker covered in a beautiful brocade.
For several long moments I stood before the chair. Then my glance found Chance and I sat, closing my eyes. This was my chair. Flashes of me sitting there rocking, Jeremy kneeling at my feet, came to me, Jeremy’s smile, his hand touching mine, his love. Oh God , I thought, what’s happening to me ? I was afraid. This was not a dream. I didn’t know what it was.
I wanted to get up, take the chair, and run. I wanted to beg Larry to come home, to take me to the doctor for that physical he wanted me to have. And maybe I would spend some time in an institution. I believed now I needed it.
“Michelle, it’s okay, take it slow.” Chance’s arms were around me, holding me simply to comfort me.
“I have to go,” I said as I stood up. I need time to think about this.” He stared at me. “I need to call my husband. I feel I’m losing touch with reality and you’re the reason, Chance.”
Larry sat in his assigned seat, surprised that Michelle had remembered to get him a window seat. The way she’d been acting lately, as though she didn’t care, he half expected to find himself seated in the middle of two strangers. Instead, she’d gotten him a first class seat.
He didn’t know if that was a good sign or not. He pressed his head against the glass. If he were not a forty-six-year- old man he would cry. Something was wrong with his marriage.
That was an understatement. Something was terribly wrong with his marriage, had been now for over eight months. Ever since Mick had hit the old lady with her car there had been a cloud hanging over them.
It was the first time in their marriage that they’d screamed at each other, saying hurtful things. Mick going to visit the woman had been out of the question.
He had been trying to protect her. But since then she’d looked at him with, if not hatred, intense dislike. He wasn’t the enemy. He was her protector, always had been, and always would be. He hoped.
Larry could barely wait to be airborne. He wanted a drink. He could feel the fear eating away at him and needed something to dull the ache. He was aware that in first class he didn’t have to wait, but to have a drink before the plane took off would be an act of desperation.
And he didn’t want to admit to desperation. The most he would admit to was despair. He missed the easy relationship he’d always enjoyed with his wife. Michelle was his life. He loved her more now than he had the day he married her.
Sure, there were some things lacking in their marriage, but he’d done his best to ignore them and for the most part it worked. If only he were able to make his wife feel the passion for him that he felt for her, their lives really would be perfect.
He leaned back in his seat, grateful for the quick takeoff and the even quicker drink put into his hand. He downed the scotch in one gulp, the smooth liquid going down to the center of his pain and setting his stomach ablaze. He rang for another. The thought that his wife was falling out of love with him would undoubtedly require every ounce of booze on the plane.
When the second drink went down, he allowed himself to relax, glad that he didn’t have anyone sitting next to him to disturb his train of thought. All he could think about was Michelle, the woman he loved, had loved for over twenty-eight years. He had no idea how he would live without her.
She was the only woman he’d ever made love to. He’d been too afraid as a boy. He’d been ridiculed and called names, shuffled from place to
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