Page 61 of Champagne Nights

“Not really.”

“Because you successfully buried all your emotions and feelings. You became numb, not letting anyone ever get closeto you. Unknowingly, you let your guard down with Aubrey. Something about her touched you, and it touched you enough to follow her to Shakespeare Garden that Saturday morning. Maybe it’s time, Ethan, to start living life again as it should be. You’ve suffered and endured enough pain over the past nine years. Sophia had problems way before she met you. You swooped in and tried to save her, but you couldn’t. What happened was not your fault. She was already in an altered state of mind from the drugs. It’s time you let go.”

I watched as she glanced over at the painting.

“What a lovely painting.” She got up from her chair and walked over to it. “Who painted it?”

I walked over and stood next to her.

“Aubrey’s best friend, Penelope. It was her art exhibition at the gallery the night I met Aubrey. She told me something that night while we were talking about the painting. This was before I knew she was blind. She asked me what I saw when I looked at it. So, I described the painting to her, and then she asked me what it meant to me. I told her I didn’t know, and then she spoke these words: ‘Even in a world of darkness, you will always see light.’”

“Is the woman in the painting Aubrey?” she asked as she glanced over at me.

“Yes.”

“Why did you buy this painting, Ethan?”

“I don’t know.” I looked down.

“I think you do. Our time is up.” She grabbed her purse and headed towards the door. “Call my office and schedule an appointment for next week. I think weekly sessions, for now, would be a good idea.”

“I will. And thank you for coming here tonight.”

“You’re welcome. Have a good night, Ethan.”

“You too, Dr. Perry.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Ethan

As I was walking down the stairs, the smell of Belgian waffles put me in a halfway decent mood. I really didn’t have time to sit and eat breakfast, but today, I would make an exception.

“Morning, Ingrid,” I spoke as I walked into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee.

“Good morning. Is that safe to say today?”

“Yep, and it’s only because I could smell those Belgian waffles all the way upstairs,” I smirked.

“Ah, seeing you in a better mood is good.”

“Well, I’m really not. But I’m working on it.”

She set the plate of waffles down in front of me, and I immediately dug into them. As I was enjoying every last bite, my phone rang. It was my mother.

“Hello,” I answered.

“Good morning, son. How are you?”

“I’m fine, Mom. How are you?”

“Good. Good. Listen, I’m coming into the city today to do some shopping. How about taking your mom to lunch?”

“I would like that. What time?”

“You tell me. You’re the one who has the hectic schedule.”

“Why don’t you come to my office around twelve thirty, and we’ll go to that little French restaurant you love.”

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