Page 43 of The Scars I Bare
And then he would have known what a liar his daughter had become.
Recovery Journal: Day Nine
Today wasn’t such a bad day.
Molly came by to visit.
It was good to see her and to apologize for ending things between us the way I had.
But I know it was for the best. She and Jake were meant for each other, and I know they’ll figure it out. Eventually.
I also got the chance to tell her about Cora.
Cora is the reason for all of my recent good days.
She makes this hellhole bearable.
She’s more than a nurse to me; she’s a salve for my pain, a cure for my loneliness, and the light when the world feels bleak.
I know it’s the worst timing.
I know I sound crazy.
But could it be…could she be the answer to my prayers?
I knew the moment I turned the corner onto the patio area of Billy’s restaurant that I shouldn’t listen in on that phone call.
Cora had all the telltale signs of someone who was in the midst of a private conversation.
Head lowered, voice hushed, red splotchy eyes.
I shouldn’t listen.
But I did.
And what I heard told me everything and nothing, all at the same time.
Why is she lying to her father? Why is she crying over it? And what am I going to do about it?
Wait, what?
Before I had a moment to contemplate that last part, my feet, as if they had a mind of their own, were on the move, stepping forward, making my presence known, like I was some sort of knight in shining armor.
Cora looked up at me, her mascara running down her tearstained cheeks, as she hastily tried to brush the moisture away with the back of her hand. Her gaze darted to Lizzie, who was busy with a bucket of crayons and several paper menus.
Before Cora could rush away, I opened my mouth, and words came out.
Words I had no right asking.
“Why were you lying to your father?”
He eyes went wide, and it was all there. Fear, anger, pain, regret. Her lips quivered from the weight of it, and it took every ounce of strength in my broken body not to reach out and pull her into my chest.
But I wouldn’t touch her. Not without her consent.
I didn’t know what had happened to Cora in her life since I’d been her patient, but I recognized wounds and battle scars, and the woman who stood in front of me was bathed in them.
“Because I’m a fraud and a coward, and it’s easier if he doesn’t know.”
