Kaleidoscope

Chapter Forty-Two

As soon as Jen's invitations came back from the printer and she had her list made up, Theresa took over addressing them and getting them in the mail. She sat at her desk dreaming about the day she would have been graduating, if not for the accident. Time had stood still for her for too long. She needed to go back to her studies full time. She was ready, she had her van, and she had her confidence. It would be her next step on her way to becoming herself again.

Jen could hardly believe that all her hard work up to this point was resulting in her PA degree. She was graduating in two weeks and she still hadn't told the practice in Chicago her answer. She cringed at the thought of telling her family. Would her mom see this as another escape? And then there was Brad. It was getting time to be honest about him also. Part of her just wanted to wait until Graduation Day to introduce him, but that might be a little too cruel. She would start with Danny-he would be happy for her.

She dialed his number at the clinic and it went to voice mail. She left a message for him to call her back. Within minutes, her phone rang, only it wasn't Danny. It was her dad.

"Hi, Dad, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Jen and how are you doing?"

Would this be the time to tell him about Brad? She would see what he wanted first to judge the mood of the conversation.

"Jen, I have a big favor to ask of you."

"Sure, Dad, what's up?"

"Well, you know your mom and I are going to counseling to see where everything went wrong with us. The doctor seems to think that it would be a good idea for the whole family to come in. Would that be something you would be willing to do?" Tom paused, hoping for a positive answer from Jen.

"If he thinks that would help, maybe it would be good for all of us. We all seem to be living in our own separate worlds." Guilt crept into her voice as she thought about Brad and Chicago. "Sure, Dad, when do you want to do this? Can we wait until finals are over?"

"I still have to talk to Theresa and see if Danny can get away, so, of course, we'll wait."

"Dad, did Mom tell you we're having a party here after Graduation? I want you to come."

Tom wanted nothing more than to take part in a real family celebration, so he jumped at the invitation.

"I'm honored, Jen. I'm very proud of you, you know. I love you."

Jen hadn't heard those words in a long time and stopped to savor them.

"Love you, too, Dad. Just let me know about the session, and I'll make time. It will be good to have the whole family together again, whatever happens."

Jen hung up and resolved that she would have to confess about Brad before the party or she would feel like an idiot when he just showed up. And it would be very hypocritical of her in front of the Doctor to just blurt out what she had been keeping inside. How could she talk about her father keeping his affair a secret when she was hiding so much herself? Truth time would be soon.

Tom hung up the phone, his heart light. Maybe they could be a real family again. This time he called Theresa. He called her cell to avoid Rose picking up. Things were so tenuous with them right now, and the last time they spoke was good. He didn't want to risk ruining that by her complaining about the family counseling he wanted to do.

Theresa answered on the first ring.

"Hey, Dad, can I call you right back? I'm on my way to the rec center to play some wheelchair basketball, and I can't talk well in the car."