Chasing Charlie by C. M. Newman

Author:C. M. Newman
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: romance, family, cancer, christianity

FORTY: THE REAL DEAL

“Hello, Mr. Glasser,” Dr. Birmingham, a kind and older woman, said as she greeted Vince with a handshake. “I hope you don’t mind me cutting into Charlie’s appointment a little to talk with you one-on-one.”

“Of course not. If I recall correctly, you did the same with his first appointment a few years ago.”

Dr. Birmingham nodded and gestured toward a comfortable leather chair, which Vince took. She sat down in its twin. “I would say it’s nice to see you, but that could sound odd if taken the wrong way.”

Vince offered an understanding look. “I understand. I’m glad you could see Charlie. He was a little too young last time he saw you to remember you now, but I figured it would be best if he could be with someone familiar. Better safe than sorry.”

“I’m glad you brought him to me. So, the only information I have is that you’re terminally ill. First off, let me say that I’m terribly sorry to hear that.”

“Thank you.”

“Can you explain the nature of the illness to me and catch me up on what’s been happening?” the counselor asked, crossing her legs and taking off her glasses.

Vince explained in detail his illness, his marriage to Angela, how much Charlie knew, and what the plan was for Charlie after the fact.

“How has Charlie been reacting to all of this emotionally?” Dr. Birmingham asked.

“He’s taking it in stride, for the most part. I was diagnosed with diabetes a few weeks ago and he’s afraid of needles, so he hates seeing me take my insulin. Doesn’t matter how many times he’s walked in on me. And he doesn’t like to see me sick from my chemo, so I try not to let him. But even when he does get upset, he doesn’t lash out or throw tantrums or anything. He’s more into asking questions and looking for a little extra attention.”

“What kind of attention?”

“Sometimes he’ll ask for a lot of things he knows I’ll say no to, but most times he’ll climb into one of our laps and just want to cuddle. Is that healthy?” Vince inquired.

“Of course. It sounds like he’s coping well so far.”

Vince nodded, relieved that at least something was going right. “Good. Is there anything I should or shouldn’t be doing? Should I be reminding him of what’s going to happen on some sort of constant basis, or only when it seems relevant to a question he’s asking?”

“Well, he probably understands more than you think he does. Parents tend to underestimate the perceptiveness of their children. Like you said, he probably sees Angela as a mother figure, and that’s not because you told him, correct?” Vince nodded. “That’s because he picked up on that on his own. Angela’s a woman he knows is romantically involved with his father, and if she’s affectionate toward him, he’s going to put two and two together. That’s typical. I’ll dig more into all of this and I’ll keep you updated if I find anything interesting.”

“That sounds perfect.

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