by R.A Cullison
Chapter 17
Lets talk
I sat in the Shrinks office, I admit I was alittle nervous about this whole thing. I wasn’t the type to open up to strangers, But I heard some wonderful things about Dr. Gray, she was suppose to be really good.
“Nora Treeman.” a nurse called my name, I got up and followed her back to a small room. “The doctor will be here shortly.” I thanked her.
I studied the certificates on the wall and there was a lot, her name was Patrica Lynn Gray. She was a very educated woman. The door opening startled me.
“Nora, Hi, I am Dr. Gray.” she reached her hand out. I shook it. “Have a seat.” she opened up a folder, “Well it seems like you been through a lot this past year, from your parents leaving to the miscarriage, sorry about that.” I shrugged.
“Thanks.” I looked down.
“Don’t be scared, I am here for you. Tell me whats on your mind.” she closed the folder.
“I seem to be dealing with a lot of loss, my first boyfriend died from an animal attack last year, before Graduation, then my Grandmother dies. I just feel hopeless all the time, like I am losing everyone I love.” she got up and sat beside me.
“What your feeling is completely normal, Nora, your not crazy, your just dealing with a lot at once. But I am glad you came in to talk to me. It always helps to have someone who isn’t attached.”
“Its normal?” It seemed odd to think what I was feeling was normal.
“Yes, I lost my son and husband in a car accident 15 yrs ago, it took me, years to talk about it, it still hurts but, not as much as it use too. That may seem weird to most people but time heals a broken hearts. You will overcome this too. You seem like a very strong person. As I said I am here for you.”
We talked about other things for the rest of the hour, she was so nice and understanding.
I got back to the apartment, she suggest that I tell Matt how I feel about him and show him how much I love him. I decided to have a romantic dinner for us. I ran to the store for some food and some wine.
I had the dinner nearly done when Matt got home from work. I had the table set and candles burning. He walked in and smiled big, “Whats all this?” I sat down our plates of salad.
“Hello honey, welcome home.” I walked over to him and gave him a huge kiss. I smiled, “Why don’t you go take a shower and when you get done dinner will be ready.” he sat down his stuff and headed to the bathroom. I checked the steaks and potatoes. They had a few more minutes to go. I sat the chilled wine next to the table in the ice bucket. I just made our plates when Matt came out.
“Have a seat, dinner is ready.” I waited for him to sit down, “Please, pour us some wine, babe.” He did, while he was doing that I placed the plates down on the table. He looked at the food.
“This looks amazing babe.” I smiled. We ate and I must admit the steaks turned out so nice and tender. “This is so good, you did great.”
“Thanks hon, I was hoping you would like this.” he smiled, “Matt, I want to tell you that, I love you and if it wasn’t for you this past year, I would have been lost, I just wanted to tell you that.” We raised his glasses together.
“I wouldn’t want to be any where else but here with you and I love you too.” he clicked our glasses together. He took his last bite of steak. “That was good.”
“I am glad you liked it, now I have something else for you.” I took his plate and my plate to the sink, “don’t move.” he smiled.
I opened the fridge and got out a cherry cheesecake, I plated two slices one for him and one for me. I sat it down in front of him.
“Wow, dessert even, this is wonderful.” We finished the dessert. I cleaned up while he watched tv, I had more planned but I waited for our dinner to settle before I continued. I loaded the dishwasher, wiped off the table and put left overs away.
I locked the front door, and snuck back into the bedroom and slipped on the sexiest thing I owned and believe me it was sexy.
This would be the first time we made love since my doctor said it was ok to do so.
I dimmed the lights, Matt looked around then he spotted me. He had a devilish grin on his face, “Wow!” he turned off the tv and walked towards me. He ran his fingers over my arms and down my back. We began kissing so passionately it made me weak. He picked me up and carried me into the bedroom.
I woke up naked next to a naked Matt, that was the best night we had in along time and I felt really good.
I got up and stretched, “Nora?” I looked at Matt, he was on his side with his head propped on his hand and looking at me.
“Yeah babe?” I got back under the covers with him.
“That was such an amazing night last night, Thank you for everything.” I kissed him.
“Your very welcome, you deserved it, for everything you do for me. I am very lucky to have you.” he smiled, I kissed him.
We were in the living room, getting ready to got to the laundrymat our washer went to hell. I bagged up all our clothes and Matt stuck them in the car.
Thankfully the laundrymat wasn’t busy. Matt carried the bags in and sat them next to the washer I picked. There was an girl there around my age, she seen Matt and she smiled, yeah she wanted him. Matt sat the last bag down and left to go get us some lunch. I sorted the clothes and put them in the washers. The girl watched me, I had to smile, she was waiting for Matt to return.
Matt showed up with some burger, fries and soft drinks. I hid behind Matt, “Matt that girl is checking you out.” he smiled .
“ I know, I saw her when I came in.” I fed him one of my fries. He kissed me, that didn’t change anything, she still watched him. I had to pee so I darted towards the bathroom at the other end of the building. When I came out I saw her flirting her ass off at Matt. Matt just ignoring her, poor girl I thought. I started to walk back, she seen me and excused herself and went back to her clothes.
“Wow, that didn’t take her long to come over here.” I chuckled.
“Her name is Melody, she is 21 and she would do anything for me to dump you so I could show her if I am big all over.” I started to laugh hard.
“What did you tell her?” I nibbled on my fries.
“I told her that, it wont happen because I was totally in love with you, she said that was ok, you don’t have to be in love to have sex.” I shook my head, she was determine, “ I have her phone number, if me and you don’t work out, I can give her a call and she will show me what a real woman is like.”
“Wow, well I am sure you know I am a real woman.” I got real close to him, he pulled me close to him.
“You bet I do, you can make my toes curl.” I laughed I gave him a kiss.
She finally left after an hour of doing some crude things whenever my back was turned that included her showing her breasts to him and her ass, by pulling down the back of her pants. I let Matt handle that kinda of stuff. I knew Matt was mine and he wasn’t even paying attention to her, which is why she left, she was pissed.
We got our laundry done and headed home. That became an inside joke between us. I started putting the clothes away, Matt on the phone with a friend of his from work.
“Nora?” he called out from the kitchen,
“Yeah, what?” I walked towards him holding a pile of my underwear, he was on the phone.
“Hold on, It’s Troy, he invited us out for Karaoke, wanna go?” to me sounded great,
“Yeah, lets go.” he rubbed my arm.
“You sure? “ I shook my head yes, “Ok Troy, see you there at 8.” he hung up, “ you sure you want to go, they have a few challenges going on there tonight, dancing and singing.” I shrugged.
“Maybe I could enter the dancing challenge.” I stuffed my underwear in my drawer.
“Really, you can dance?” he seemed surprised, I forgot he didn’t know about my dancing, it was Corbin who I told.
“Well I guess tonight you will find out.” I grabbed a loose outfit out of the closet.
> We arrived at the bar alittle after 8, Troy and his girlfriend, Dana, who was a good friend of mine, where at the bar, he was downing some beers. I registered for the dancing challenge, I got my number. I was last to dance and the challenge was they picked the style, mine, as luck would have it, ballet, classic ballet. I was smiling on the inside.
Matt and I got a pool table and waited for the challenge to begin, he was just a nervous as I was. I started to stretch, I was alittle stiff from not dancing in a few years. Matt watched me,
“That explains a lot.” he smirked, I knew what he was thinking, I lightly slapped his shoulder,
“Perv.” I finished stretching.
The announcer came out, “Next to dancer is Nora Treeman.” they picked the music. I stood there waited for the music to begin. I started to dance, I had everyones attention, like I did at the train station, then music stopped.
“Give it up for Nora Treeman.” the annoucer placed his hand on my shoulder, “ That was awesome.” I bowed and walked over to Matt, He hugged me.
“Babe, that was amazing to watch, so smooth, I mean, WOW!”, he hugged me, I was happy I was last.
The annoucer came back out, “Alright lets vote, will the dancers please join me.” I joined him on stage, “its up to you, the audience, who will be our winner, will it be , number one?” the crowd barely was heard, “Number 2?” they were alittle louder, “ Ok tough crowd, Number 3?” there were several claps, “ Number 4” which was me, the crowd nearly hurt my ear drums, “We have our winner, Nora Treeman, you’re the winner of $5,000 dollars and a weekend stay at the Golden Knight Casino and Hotel, Congratulations!” I smiled, I shook the other dancers hand. He handed me the prizes and I made my way to Matt, who was beaming with happiness.
As the night when on, Matt was beginning to get drunk, if he got too bad it would suck cause he is 5 times my size. We had to leave before he got that bad.
“Matt, lets head home, your getting pretty drunk.” he agreed.
“Your right baby, lets go, you drive cause I cant.” I took his keys, “Bye everyone” he shouted to the remaining people at the bar. We headed out to the car, he plopped down in the passenger seat. “Baby, I was proud of you, dancing out there, your so amazing, I want to marry you.” I buckled his seat belt.
“One day you will.” he sniffed my hair.
“So beautiful, Corbin was such a smart guy to give you to me. I love you so much, you’re my angel, so perfect.” I shut the door.
“Your sweet, I love you too.” I started the car up.
“I don’t understand why you do, but I am glad you do.” He must of passed out because he got quiet.
I woke him up and he made it up the stairs and into the bed, fully dressed. I rolled him over, took off his shoes and clothes down to his boxers then covered him up. I slipped into a cotton nightgown and crawled next to him.
I woke up to the sound of someone throwing up, I looked over and Matt was gone. Aww I thought, he must be in the bathroom. I got up and knocked on the door,
“Matt? Are you ok?” I waited for an answer.
“Ugh, I will be.” I heard him throw up again. I dressed and headed into the living room, I turned on the music and started coffee.
Matt staggered out of the bathroom, looking like hell, his long dark hair messy, pale and he just looked terrible.
“Never again.” he said as he sat on the couch.
“The best thing for a hangover is strong black coffee.” he gave me a look like are you serious,
“No babe, not for me.” he said waving his hand.
I looked at the clock, “ I got to go to my psychologist appointment, call me if you need anything.” I kissed his cheek.
The appointment went good, she suggest that I confront Grandpa and my Mom about the whole thing with him being my Dad.
“I don’t know if I can? I mean, they lied to me.” I sat there looking at my hands.
“Nora, look at me.” she lifted my head, “ think of things from their point of view. Your Mom wanted a baby so much she would do anything to have one and your Grandpa helped out a son he loves so much, he had to step back and be your grandfather not your Dad. Did you lack for anything every?” I shook my head, “did they ever treat you bad?” I shook my head, “They love you, now that your old enough to know the truth they told you, hopeing you would understand better. You have a right to be mad but its time to forgive them. Does he want to be your Dad or Grandfather?”
“He still calls himself Grandpa.” I could see where she was coming from.
“That’s because he sees himself as your grandfather and your Dad is your Dad, your Mom is your Mom, no matter what. You need to talk to them.” I shrugged, she was right.
After the appointment I drove over to the warehouse. I walked back to my Grandpa’s office. I knocked.
“Yeah, come in.” I walked in, Grandpa was standing next to his desk looking at order sheets. “Nora? Wow, glad to see you. Something wrong?” I shook my head.
“I wanted to talk to you, can we get Mom on the phone, I want to talk to both of you.” he sat down.
“Sure.” he dialed her number, my Dad answered.
“Hi Daddy, is Mom there?” he chuckled,
“Daddy? Yeah pumpkin, she is here, want to talk to her?” he loved when I called him daddy.
“Yes, please put her on.” I heard him sit the phone down and call for my Mom.
“Hello?” she answered the phone.
“Mom and Grandpa, I been seeing a psychologist and she said its was time to talk to you both and let you know what has been happening in my life. Please let me talk, you will have a turn. 2 months ago I had a misscarriage, it was devastating, and this year or so has been hard on me. I forgive you both, but you have to understand that, I will not call Grandpa Dad, I have a Dad and he is with you Mom, Travis will be my grandfather, you are my mother and Dad will always be my daddy.” I looked at Grandpa, his expression was hard to read.
He cleared his throat, “Nora I don’t want to be your Dad, I’m your Grandpa, your Dad is my son, I was just there when I was needed, I don’t want take that away from my son.” he sat next to me.
My Mom broke in, “You needed to know the truth, but nothing will change, we will be your parents and Travis will be your Grandpa, that’s how it always will be… But…” My cell cut her off, I looked it was Matt.
“One second, Matt? You ok?” I answered.
“Yeah, wondering where you are?” he sounded better.
“I am with my Grandpa, I will be home soon, Do you want anything?” I heard him cough.
“Yeah, Pepto. Please.” he cleared his throat.
“We have some in the bathroom.” heard water running and a females voice, “who is that?” he was talking to someone, “Matt?” he hung up.
I rushed out of there and straight home. I ran up the stairs, Matt was in the hall way with the neighbor and his wife. Matt looked down at the phone. “Oh babe, I forgot I was talking to you.” he hugged me.
