Remember When by A. D. Ryan

Author:A. D. Ryan [Ryan, A. D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B00SAHGRRK
Published: 2015-04-06T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9 | Breaking Free

“Swear to me that no matter what happens, you won't ever let me get in the way of your happiness. Especially when it comes to our family.”

How could I promise that? Cassie was my life…my future…my happiness. How could I promise to not let her come in the way of herself? It was an insane thought—a thought that seemed to be coming full circle. Right back to Cassie. It made me dizzy, like I'd been riding around and around on a carousel that was moving entirely too fast. Even though it seemed a little crazy, I promised—but I had to in order to offer her some peace of mind that her past would no longer cause a rift between my parents and me, or be a problem for Charlie.

For the first couple of days after my disagreement with my mom, facing my parents was awkward, to say the least. My mother would barely meet my gaze, her embraces fell flat, and she hardly spoke two words to me unless it concerned Charlie. She put up a good front for Charlie so as not to upset her, but the strain was still there.

By Thursday, I was grateful that Jennifer and Alex had stopped by my parents' house, because I was able to ask them to take Charlie to the park for a bit so I could talk to Mom and Dad. Once we were all seated around the table, I apologized face-to-face, knowing that a phone call was clearly inadequate considering the severity of the situation.

“It's just…I don't know. I kind of wanted to shelter Charlie from Cassie's illness a little longer. We just didn't want her to know until she was old enough to really understand,” I continued, finally bringing my eyes up to meet their stares.

My mom reached across the table and held her hand over mine. “I know, and I'm sorry. But she woke up from her nap crying for Cassie.” She sniffled as a lone tear trailed down her cheek. “When I finally reached her, Jack, she lost it. She was kicking and screaming over and over that she wanted her mom. I've never seen her do that before.”

I balked at my mother's recollection of the events that had prompted their talk with Charlie. “Why didn't you tell me this?”

Her eyes fell briefly and the air in the room was heavy with her remorse. “You never gave me the chance,” she replied softly.

While I knew her words to be true, it still upset me. “You could have called,” I said breathlessly as my chest began to tighten with anxiety at the mere thought of Charlie's episode.

“She told me not to, and I figured it best not to upset her further. I intended to tell you Monday when you picked her up. But after you reacted the way you did—”

“Because you opened with telling me my daughter needed therapy,” I interrupted in a harsh tone. Feeling my anger level elevate, I took a deep breath, reminding myself that wasn't why I was here.

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