Page 158 of Enthrall Shadows
Standing back to give him space, I let him take that first step onto the sandy beach, trusting in this sacred moment—a milestone in his recovery.
He didn’t need to say anything. We both knew what this meant.
He studied his feet in the sand and then gestured for me to join him.
The moment my bare feet sank into the sand, I relaxed. Something as simple as this was a conduit to calmness.
We trekked along the beach as waves crashed close by, enjoying the smell of the fresh air and the feel of the balmy morning breeze.
Glancing over at Henry, I saw he, too, was drinking in the view.
“The profoundness of the earth’s creator,” I whispered. “Soak it in.”
“I am.” He dragged in another lungful of air.
This time, I stayed back, taking a seat on the sand.
My view now was a man strolling toward the water’s edge, fulfilling a promise to himself.
As though he was able to go backwards in time and say,“I made it. I’m alive. I pulled through.”
Henry threw down his shoes and rolled up his pant legs to prevent them from getting wet. Then he bowed his head as if saying a prayer before finally peering skyward.
I said a prayer of my own, beseeching God to allow Henry to find freedom from his internal pain.
We had asked so much of him.
He’d been sent into battle to protect the world and keep us safe. He had fought willingly, aware of the ultimate price and the sacrifice that would be demanded of him.
His heart and mind had been carrying the burden.
Henry.
Holding my breath, I observed him moving closer to the rippling water.
Finally, he stepped forward, bathing his feet up to his ankles in frothy rolling surf, a tall silhouette of a man against the horizon.
As a healer, this is what I had hoped for him—this experience a way for all the fragments of his consciousness to come together to bring about a harmonious balance of his psyche so he could find a peaceful, brighter future.
Only he could walk that stark passage out into the light. Words were not needed. Not anymore. These moments were dedicated to him with the hope that one day he’d heal from what had happened in the past.
I took a shaky breath, my gaze never leaving him.
Finally, Henry turned to me and smiled.
Tuesday felt like a Monday.
I finally peered up from the file in front of me and pushed my chair back from the desk.
Jen stood on the other side, bright face greeting me as she set a coffee on a coaster. She wore one of her pristine suits, her stance reflecting business as usual here at Cole Tower.
Again, I thought back to yesterday in Malibu.
I thought abouther.
Lotte’s insight had us both visiting the beach; a simple yet profound gift I should have already given myself. It had helped more than I had believed it would.
After our tumultuous weekend, that visit to the ocean had also refreshed me.
