HEAL

25 -- ACCEPTANCE

"We need to talk."

Charlie was somewhat surprised when Larry had said that too.  But then again, maybe she wasn't.  She had picked up a few things, earlier than more recently, in Larry's demeanor, his words, but especially, his behaviour.  She knew that he and his brother were close, but she had never realised just how close.  That he had insisted he stay with Laurent while he was in hospital, even though he would be receiving the best care.  She had told him that she needed him too, but Larry had refused to leave him.  That in itself, spoke volumes.

They ended their brief conversation, ready and more than willing to clear the air and get things sorted.  She wanted him with her, where she believed her husband should be.  She would persuade him, make him see that she shouldn't be without him now, just as he had done with her, when he asked her, no, told her, she should marry him.  That's what he had wanted, wasn't it ?  A wife, a marriage, a happy-ever-after ?  Well, he was going a strange way about it, and now she would make him see.

But that clawing, that gnawing at the back of her mind, it was always there these days.  That all was not as it seemed.  That Larry had an ulterior motive for getting married.  Not an evil one, just .....  what he had said about loving her in his own way, meaning ...... he didn't love her, not the way she wanted and needed him to love her.  Did she feel the same way ?  Did she really love him ?  Or did she just get swept up in his smile, his attention, his genuine affection, and the way he treated her ?  She saw a life, the vision in her head, and the feeling in her heart, of how her life should be.  And when Larry had offered her that life, she grabbed it with both hands.

Her mother rounded the doorway of her room, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.  Evelyn had heard her daughters conversation with Larry, she wasn't hiding, they hid nothing from one another.  She wasn't looking forward to this conversation, but it was one that needed to be had, none the less.  Charlie looked over at her mother leaning on the door jamb.

"He needs to talk too.  This isn't going to be good, I can feel it."  She looked into Evelyn's face almost desperately, silently asking for her help, her guidance.

"Sweetheart, WE need to talk.  You need to know something."  Charlie patted the space beside her on the bed.  Evelyn took both her daughter's hands in her own as she sat.

"Larry loves you, he does.  And he's so lovely, and you two are good for each other, you really are."

"But ..... ?"

"Getting married ?  Seriously ?"

"He persuaded me ..... "

"You shouldn't need to be persuaded, Charlie. "

"This doesn't sound good, and Larry's not even here yet."  Charlie could read the seriousness that crossed Evelyn's face.

"This is a heads up, a "forewarned is forearmed", if you like.  But you need to know.  There's someone else in Larry's life.  You know it, deep down, and I have a feeling you know who it is.  And he's felt like this for a long time."  Charlie looked up, surprised.  How did her mother know this ?  It sounded like she was talking from actual knowledge, whereas she was just going on gut instinct.

"Mom ?  Then why did he ask me to .... "  Charlie shook her head.

"He's coming here tomorrow, yes ?  Listen to him, let him tell you his story.  It's not a battle between you two, so please don't make it one.  Yes, he did a stupid thing .... "

"Marrying me was stupid ?  Jeez, thanks mom."

"That's not what I meant and you know it.  No, him, either of you getting married was stupid."  Charlie sighed.  Whichever way this was going to go, it was going to break her heart.