Page 38 of The Leaves In Autumn
I give him his silence and wait while he does his own analyzing.
“If that’s what you want. Yeah… Okay... Shit. I’m a fool.”
“And who am I? You always have a good name for me. Come on.”
This time there is only a moment’s hesitation.
“Smart.”
CHAPTER 13
Aargon
“Tell me what you were feeling right before this happened. What led up to the outburst with your son?
“I was tired. Cranky. And the cell phone thing I told you about.”
“Did you resolve it with him?”
“Teddy and I talked. I apologized, and he forgave me. He’s a good kid. Much more understanding than I would have been.”
I have conveniently left Dr. Franklin out of the most important part of the story. I don’t know why, except that I don’t want to talk about it. She looks at me without judgement or expectations. Kind of like a mother who knows if she simply continues to stare, you will eventually tell it all. Waiting for more is a therapist’s favorite tool too.
“You had a good time at the concert?”
I think back to that night. Her.
“Yeah. We had a great time.”
She chuckles softly.
“It looks like you’re replaying something that pleased you. Surprisingly pleased you.”
There’s no denial from me.
“Talk about that night.”
Elbows on knees, I put my head down and remember.
“We took a limo together.”
“The family?”
“And a good friend. Barbra. She’s my brother’s future sister-in-law. That’s where the fun started. By the time we got to the concert, everyone was feeling happy.”
“Including you?”
“Oh yeah. Barbra and I were dancing, and it felt like we were teenagers. It was fun to forget reality for awhile. We were in the moment.”
“What happened after the concert ended?”
“We all went to breakfast.”
“Then what?”
“Well, we decided to stay at a hotel, because we dreaded the two-hour ride home.”
“That’s how the evening ended?”
