SEQUEL TO BLACK BEAUTY
Their lives were never meant to cross paths, but they were brought together for a 'good' cause. Their love was never meant to be, but a child was created from that 'love'. Eric and Penelope were never meant to miss one another...
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IT had been well over a month, and I still hadn't seen Penelope. I'd heard her voice on a handful, maybe more, of occasions. However, I'd yet to actually see her standing in front of me, where I could touch her. I wanted to touch her beautiful face, her hair, her hands. And if she allowed it, I wished for nothing more than to touch her lips just once.
But, it wasn't just her lips or hair that I missed since I last saw her. No. I missed having her around and knowing I would see her at the end of the day after a long day of work. It was her voice and the gentle way she would often speak to me. Or had it been timidness all this time? Was I actually missing the way she naturally feared me?
I didn't know, but the thought of me missing the volatile life we had before terrified me. I didn't want to fall into that same behavior, putting my innocent wife in danger. Just how I'd done for an entire year.
"How does seeing Penelope soon make you feel, Eric? How have you been preparing yourself for that day?" My therapist's voice brought me back.
I looked up at her, blinking slowly as her questions sunk in. Had she not asked that, then I wasn't sure how I would've actually prepared myself in my own time. It wasn't until she uttered those questions that I really made myself think what exactly I would do to rightfully approach that day.
The day I would finally get to see Penelope.
"I. .I haven't really thought that over too much, but at least now I have something to occupy myself with," I answered truthfully, frowning lightly.
"You're right. You've been doing so well with your exercises, and working this out is another healthy exercise you can put time and effort into." She quickly wrote something down, her lips pursed. "Have you spoken to her about your upcoming visit?"
I instantly shook my head, sighing softly. "No. I haven't really gotten around to doing it. I think it's maybe because. ." I drifted off, frowning a little deeper.
"You're possibly afraid she's going to reject you? Could that be why you're putting this topic off?"
I nodded slowly, silently asking myself if that was the reason why. And it was. I'd convinced myself the minute I worked out plans to visit Penelope that she wouldn't be happy to hear about it. My subconscious was tricking me into making up scenarios where she somehow urged me to postpone my visit. A visit I was hoping would happen for weeks now.
My therapist cleared her throat, making another quick note in her little black notebook. The first few sessions proved to be difficult because seeing her do that irritated me. But I'd slowly grown used to it, knowing it was only so she could figure out how to help me.
"I've spoken to her over the phone quite a lot—more now that she has a means of reaching me whenever she wants, or when I do. She reminds me how she misses me, but that our temporary. .separation is so we can each individually work through our own troubles. She also tells me she loves me. ."
