Christine lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Even though temperatures were mild, she was shivering. A part of her regretted Daniel had told her the truth, for it was more than she could bear. She and Trudy cried when Daniel told them the news, Tim kept sniffling and trying hard not to break down. Everyone resolved repeatedly he was going to beat this sickness and there was hope.
Daniel was downstairs watching television. He said he wanted time alone and needed a distraction. Before going upstairs to bed, Christine spotted a glass of liquor on the table next to his reclining chair. He almost never drank, often just holding a drink during social occasions.
She replayed Daniel's words in her head that if he followed the doctor's instructions, he had a good chance of recovery. Christine wished she could be confident but she was so scared. It was too painful to think about, so she turned on her side and tried closing her eyes but sleep would not come. She contemplated getting a drink to help herself get to sleep. Tomorrow was another workday and the family had to manage to get through the day somehow.
She thought about the twins and their college plans. Even though they will be devastated, perhaps it would be good for them to take a gap year—they would enter college a little older and more mature. Christine's mind drifted back to the other earlier trauma in her life when everything was tense, heartbreaking, and uncertain. She never thought her life would ever return to normal. She felt certain she would be raising her children alone in poverty and no man would even consider dating a woman struggling with two babies. Besides, their biological father's betrayal had sent her reeling. She never thought she'd be able to trust a man again until she met Daniel. Her thoughts about the past wearied her; her eyes began closing as she drifted off to an uneasy sleep. She desired to make the images of the past vanish in a haze but once asleep, they refused to disappear.
Christine could never forget those days and the present trauma unleashed memories of the one she had experienced eighteen years ago.
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An Unforeseen Turn of Events
General FictionA-list actor who thinks he has it all realizes what he has shunned all his life turns out to be his biggest blessing. Ryan Monti is tall, strikingly handsome and one of Hollywood's top actors. He's perfectly content with his life devoted to career a...
