Starting Over

Chapter 27- A Day in the Life....

“You can’t let her leave again. You almost lost her,” Caroline told me while standing in the empty arena.

“I know. I should have never let her leave to begin with,” I said to Caroline.

“She’s not me. She won’t stick around when you start acting like an ass. She will pick up and leave. She will walk away and never come back. Bridget isn’t the kind of person who will put up with the bullshit. Be honest with her. You are connected in a way that me and you never were. Your sickness is proof of that. Luke, as much as I know you just want to hate her sometimes, you love her more than you ever loved me. Don’t let her walk away,” Caroline lectured me.

“I don’t love her more than I love you,” I defended.

“Be honest with yourself, Luke, you love Bridget more than you have ever loved me. You have for a long time. Everyone knows it. It’s time you admit it to yourself,” Caroline explained to me.

“But…” I started as she placed her finger over my mouth hushing my words.

“Get better control on your life. Better control on your sickness and love her with more passion. And always remember she’s not me,” Caroline as she faded away.

As I woke up I reached for Bridget and she wasn’t there. I panicked, afraid she had left. I jumped up out of the bed, almost falling over. I ran to the front of the bus and there she was sitting on the couch listening to music on her phone while drinking a cup of coffee.

“What’s wrong?” Bridget asked me seeing the worry in my expression.

“I woke up and you were gone. I was afraid you left again,” I explained the look on my face.

“Come here,” Bridget demanded as I walked over to her and sitting down, “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

A sense of relief washed over me hearing those words come from her, “I think I might need to see Dr. Carrio about my Couvade Syndrome. I don’t want it to interfere with this crazy life anymore,” I told Bridget.

“We’ll be back in Nashville in a few days. I’ll call and get you an appointment,” Bridget said to me. It was clear that she knew it was bothering me.

“Thank you,” I said as I pulled her close to me.

“You’re welcome. I think it may explain a lot about what has happened the past few days,” Bridget stated.

“What do you mean?” I asked her.

“I was doing a little research on it to see what exactly it was and the symptoms. It said that the man with Couvade Syndrome could experience the mood swings and moodiness as well as the morning sickness and some other things. It would explain why the past few days you just haven’t been yourself,” Bridget educated me.

“Like what other things?” I asked out of curiosity.

“Strange cravings, abdominal pain, weight gain, irritability, feelings of jealousy or anxiety,” Bridget listed.

“Wait! What? Weight gain?” I questioned with concern, “How is that possible?”

“I don’t know. But I do know you have been eating a lot of weird things here lately,” Bridget said.

“I have not!” I exclaimed.

“Luke, you have been putting ketchup on your vegetables! That’s just weird!” Bridget informed me.

I sat there for a minute. I guess she was right, but for some reason ketchup on my green beans and carrots tasted really good, “Point made.”

I got up and made me a cup of coffee before sitting back down next to Bridget.