BLACK IS THE WARMEST COLOR

Chapter 27

She was in his sitting room, seated about to hear his side of the story. In her years of being a working consultant and those years were little, never had she come across a story quite like the Lane family.

It wasn't the isolation Gwen was in that intrigued her or that Blythe still hid some things about Dianne. It was the fact that the entire family could attempt to cover up the fact that one of their own died and choose to live in denial. But the person who suffered the most was Gwen. But now it wasn't about Gwen, now was about Jacob, Dianne's dad. She hoped he could tell her a little bit of what she wanted to know.

"You have a nice place sir" she started.
He offered her coffee. Good hospitality. She knocked. He didn't know her but once she introduced herself and identified him as Dianne's dad, he let her in.

"you still haven't told me who you are and how you know my daughter"

"I'm Mary. I'm your daughters therapist"

"Oh.. well. Pleasure to meet you" his tone seemed a lot cheerful.

"Now, you may be wondering what I'm doing here. Well.. I'm just looking for entail concerning Dianne if that's okay with you" she took a sip of coffee as she rested her back on the sofa.

"Anything to help Dianne, I'd be glad to share " he chipped in.

She cleared her throat. "You must miss her terribly. And I'm so sorry about Candace."
He became quiet.
"I miss them both each day that passes especially Candace"

"Why is it that you never paid Dianne a visit at the hospital. I'm sorry for what happened but you could have at least sent a mail or something at all. She was still your daughter"
She watched as he refilled his glass of wine and took a sip.
"I couldn't bear to. After the incident, I just felt it was best to keep my distance. I didn't want to bring more sadness to her or her mother. So I stayed away."

"But you could have wrote to her"

"I know. I felt that if she knew it was from me, she wouldn't even want to read it. She'd tear it to shreds" he said with a slight chuckle.

So far the conversation was going great. No need for her to leave or get shouted at. He was opening up and she liked that.

"Can I ask what exactly happened that day?" Mary continued. She finally said it. When she first mentioned it to Blythe, it didn't go so well so she hoped his would be different.

He took a deep breath as he slouched into the chair. All the while, she noticed he didn't put pressure on his left leg. But she was getting there.

"It was my fault Doctor. Everything. If I hadn't had my type of personality, my family would have still been together. My sister doesn't tell me it's my fault. She doesn't need to. I see the look she's been giving me for the past ten years. If I hadn't been so loose with women, Gwen would have loved me better. And maybe Candace wouldn't have died. Everyday I wake up with the guilt that somehow I was responsible for her death. Never did I think that this question would ever cross my path again"

"Sir I.." Mary tried to show support to him. He was starting to break down now.
"To be honest, I never knew they were coming. But I didn't know what I was thinking. I shouldn't have brought that woman knowing fully well my heart still lied with Gwen"

"The hardest part of this whole situation is acceptance and I'm glad your coming to terms with it" Mary added.

"So things were said obviously, and we took our eyes off Dianne and Candace who were both by the kitchen and before we knew what happened, the house was on fire"

Mary let out a deep sigh. Gwen couldn't bring herself to know that somehow by taking her eyes off the girls, she had a hand in her death as well. Perhaps it was the guilt that killed her more than the grief.
That's why Blythe left out the details of that.

"So if I put two and two together, the lady died as well?"
He nodded. Tears lingered at the corner of his eyes.

"I'm so sorry" Mary could say. Everything was clearer now.

"The police came around after the fire was put out, but nothing was left. Candace sustained burns all over her body, we all did.. he pointed at the left leg.. that we feared she'd be mamed if she could survive it."

Mary brought out her phone. "This is what was said online according to the neighborhood reports. Everyone believed that"

"Attempted arson?" Jacob cursed
"The internet talks shit most times. Candace died days later due to severe concussions. The day she died was the day Gwen died as well. She never spoke to me till this day, and I don't blame her. Her friend helped her finalize the divorce papers in which she was happy doing so. Again, I don't blame them."

Mary's coffee had gone cold now, so when she took a sip, her buds were bland.

"You know I believed a lot of stories about you from Dianne, that was until I discovered she's suffering from schizophrenia. But hers was a lot more aggravated because she hadn't been taking her medications. She created these.. these things in her head which she forces herself and others to believe"

Dianne developed this mental illness because she still loves in denial over her sister's death. Mary finally told Jacob after quick presumptions in her head. Jacob only listened. He didn't know what to say.

"Jacob... Can I call you Jacob?" he nodded.

"Dianne once told me Candace visited her in the hospital"