AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The gentle hum of the air conditioning fills the silence as I shift in my seat.
“It’s hard to face the past when I’ve suppressed it for so long. When Ignatius found me in my mother’s room that day, I didn’t realize the magnitude of the situation. That I was an orphan,” I say, the words heavy on my tongue.
“Do you think you grasp it now?”
I run a hand through my hair then brace my elbows on my knees as I think about my response. “I don’t know. I guess I never took the time to fully comprehend it. I was too young to ask questions, and Ignatius did his best to build a new life for me. One where I could forget what happened.”
As I sit here, thoughts of Ignatius flood my mind. It’s hard to accept that he’s gone, too. I owe him so much—he offered me a home and opportunities that shaped the very course of my life.
When I was old enough to understand what had truly happened, Ignatius told me who my father had been to him. They were childhood best friends who grew up together in life and in business. When my father died, Ignatius was the first to be notified, and he immediately came to my house to deliver the news.
My mother succumbed to the unbearable weight of heartbreak. She couldn’t bear the pain, not even for her son.
It’s a truth I still struggle to accept.
She sought solace in pills, hoping to dull the ache, to silence the relentless pounding of grief in her chest. But in the end, it was an overdose that claimed her.
“What are you thinking about?” Dr. Goode asks me.
“Why are the people who mean the most to us the ones who are taken too soon?”
She leans forward slightly, and her lips press together, holding back a small smile.
“What’s so funny?” I frown.
“Nothing at all. I’m just so proud of your progress. The first three sessions, we spent in silence. The fourth one, you told me a bit about your past. And now, you’re opening up. My efforts are paying off.”
I roll my eyes and sit back. “Don’t get too cocky, Dr. Goode.”
She chuckles and sets her notebook down.
“Look. It’s hard to put into words, but sometimes there’s no rational explanation for why the people we cherish the most are snatched away from us so soon. Or why they leave.” Her voice is full of sorrow. “It’s a cruel twist of fate, I know. We search for meaning, for some grand design that might offer comfort, but often, we’re left grappling with the incomprehensible,” she continues, and my gaze drifts down to the floor. “Life itself is unpredictable, indifferent to our deepest bonds and affections. All we can do is cherish the time we had, hold on to the love they left behind, and find a way to carry on amidst the ache of their absence.”
I nod slowly, a silent acknowledgement of the harsh truth.
Her eyes hold mine with a depth of understanding. “Dion,” she continues, her voice tender yet firm. “Part of this journey is also about accepting your feelings, even those that might be difficult.”
“What if they are for someone I can’t have but don’t want to forget?”
Her lips curve into a compassionate smile. “Acceptance doesn’t mean erasing those emotions. It means acknowledging them for what they are—a part of your experience, but not defining your entire reality.”
A knot forms in my stomach as her words sink in.
“Tell me more about her,” she adds.
My jaw clenches. Aria has shunned me for a year, cast me aside like a shadow. And it’s left me feeling abandoned—again. And I hate feeling abandoned.
She chose him. She decided to trap herself in a role she never wanted to play yet felt obligated to fulfill. She’s not my problem anymore.
Though I haven’t fully given up on her, I’ve lost momentum. I need to find that spark again, the drive to push forward, because deep down, I know she’s worth it.
But it still doesn't take away the anger and hurt.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” I snap. “I liked her, gave her a way out, and she chose him. Plain and simple.”
“You said liked. Does that mean you don’t anymore?” Dr. Goode asks, her head tilted to the side.
I exhale a breath. “I could never not like her.”
