Page 66 of Semi Sweet
“At my parents’.” Sean replied. “We had some unexpected business and I didn’t think it was appropriate to bring him along.”
“So what is your place in Denver like? Let me guess–two bedrooms, great view, lots to do.”
“Try the ground floor, just a step above a studio apartment. There is plenty to do, though.”
Dan made a face before walking towards a wrought iron gate that led to the backyard. “You want to see it? For sentiment's sake?”
“I mean, if it’s just sitting there unoccupied. I was just going to show Olivia around your place after we visited a bit.”
Dan guided us down a nicely manicured yard and a walkway to a sliding glass door where he put in a security code to get the key to unlock it. I noticed a firepit several paces away. In addition to beautiful mountains, I could also see a quaint lake in the distance. Job offer or not, I had to believe it wasn’t easy to walk away from this place.
The inside was cozy. There were leather couches in front of an electric fireplace and a small TV mounted above it. The few large bookshelves were sparse and must have been set up for staging purposes, but I wondered if Sean had put anything in them. I followed the men down a hallway with two bedrooms on the right side, a bathroom with a walk-in shower at the end, and a kitchen even smaller than the one Sean had in Denver on the left.
“How did you bake in here?” I asked, noticing only a microwave and single hot plate in the modest space.
“Creatively.” He wasn’t really paying attention to me, he was so deep in thought.
“I wish I could find someone who would treat her right,” Dan said as we headed back out to the living room. The glass door with the stellar view. “They would have big shoes to fill, obviously.”
“I think I might have someone, if you are open to it.” Sean was gazing out the door, still looking pensive. Dan and I both were surprised to hear this. “Olivia just got a job in Aspen.”
“Uh, it’s not a job yet,” I clarified.
“She’s got a paid internship with a local publishing company. She’s not coming back to Denver with me. She was going to stay with my parents, but I’m sure she’d prefer to have a place of her own.” He nodded before adding, “I may be joining her again. Bear and I will need a place if you still want us.”
Dan and I looked at Sean incredulously. “What?”
“I think the universe is trying to tell me something. It might be time to finally buy that bakery.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Put Him On
“I’mafraidIcan’tbe your therapist. It would be a conflict of interest,” Mrs. Mizuno said. “That being said, I can make a recommendation or two.”
I nodded. Her home office was inviting with a variety of ferns and house plants. Lavender essential oils from the diffuser made me feel at ease. Sean’s mother sat in a brown leather armchair as she sipped from a teacup, one leg crossed over the other. I sat on the matching chaise lounge across from her, looking through a small photo album of Sean’s baby pictures. It took the edge off almost as much as the aromatherapy.
“I appreciate any insights you can give me,” I finally replied.
It was probably strange for her to be involved in her son’s affairs, even if this was probably the most indirect way possible.
“I don’t necessarily think you need to meet with someone regularly. From the sound of things, you just need some time to sort yourself out now that you have nothing holding you back.”
I’d filled her in on the gist of things, mostly the reasons why I’d stayed with Evan as long as I had. I stared at Sean’s little face as I told my story. It gave me something to focus on so I wouldn’t get upset.
“That’s good news,” I said.
“That being said, I think there are a few outstanding things preventing you from being able to completely heal,” Mrs. Mizuno continued.
I looked up from a photo where a young Sean was playing in a toy kitchen. “You do?” Mrs. Mizuno nodded. “Some new scenery and a new job prospect were the first steps. I think reaching out to your family needs to be the next one. Whether they want to repair the relationship or not, you will not fully be able to move on without knowing once and for all.”
The very thought made me nervous, but half the reason I’d suffered as long as I had was because I pushed my feelings down and tried to make the best of things. I might be living a very different life if I had asked for help sooner.
“I know.” I heaved a sigh. “Sean has been telling me the same thing for weeks.”
Mrs. Mizuno smiled and took a sip of her tea. “You can take this next step with a grain of salt because it could be construed as a mother talking and not professional. You can figure out who you are, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be alone.” Her dark eyes held my gaze for several seconds, sharing the true meaning of her words.
“I'm worried it's too soon,” I tried to reason.
“No one can make that call but you,” she replied. “But you’ll never know if you don’t make a decision.”
