so nice to see you again,’ said Doctor Gallagher as he shut the door behind them.
‘From today please call me Amelia,’ she said. ‘I’m Miss Woods the whole day, but here, I just want to be Amelia.’
‘Fair enough.’ He darted across to the desk, picked up her folder then sat opposite her like they normally did.
‘How are things?’ he asked.
‘Busy,’ she said. ‘Really busy; I don’t think I realised the amount of work I was taking on when I agreed to take over his assets. But I took your advice, and hired someone.’
‘And how is that working out?’
‘So much better, I don’t have to think about the small tasks, like my diary. All I have to do now is show up.’
He smiled and nodded.
‘It feels strange. One minute I’m Justin’s prisoner, the next I’m looking after his business.’
‘He trusts you.’
‘He is a terribly confusing man.’
‘I agree, but you have to admit, there is something about you that he loves.’
She thought about it a moment. That was true; it was always in his eyes.
‘How do you feel about him now, since we last spoke?’
She shut her eyes and then opened them.
‘It’s difficult. It’s hard not to think about him, he’s still pretty much controlling my life,’ she said. ‘I have a call with him today.’
‘Have you spoken to him about anything besides business?’
She shook her head.
‘You haven’t told him about the baby?’
Again she shook her head.
‘He has a right to know.’
‘I know, I’m just not ready.’
The old man sat back and opened the file. He scanned the contents of it, and then looked back at her.
‘Are you a Christian?’ he asked.
The question took her by surprise.
‘I went to Sunday school.’ She laughed lightly. ‘My parents are more of church goers than I am.’
‘Then you’ll have a pretty good grasp on bible scriptures.’ He ran his hand across his beard, and then crossed his legs. ‘I’m not a Christian myself, but I have studied the teachings of Jesus.’
Amelia watched and wondered where the conversation was heading. Was he going to hit her again with more of his words of wisdom?
‘I have to say, that Jesus was one of the greatest teachers that walked this earth.’
Amelia waited.
‘There is a particular verse I keep close to my heart.’ He smiled as he said this. ‘It’s in the book of John 8 verse 7, “Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.” In my career, I’ve always tried to live by those words.’ He took in a deep breath. ‘You’re probably thinking, why I’m telling you this.’
‘Yes, yes I am.’
‘Do you agree that we’re all made in His image? God’s image?’
‘I do.’
‘I do too, even though I’m not a practicing Christian, I do feel there is something, someone bigger at work. Sometimes, some of us come into this world broken. If Derrick –’
‘Justin,’ she corrected him.
‘I beg your pardon, old habits die hard.’ He smiled. ‘If Justin were born blind, it would’ve been easier for his family to show compassion, would it not?’
‘I would think so.’
‘Stick with me here,’ he said. ‘When a child is born, there is no thought of evil in that child. No one thought that Justin would one day murder his own brother. The problem with Justin is that his illness can’t be seen. It isn’t something we can see, like blindness or a deformity. The brain is so complex that we’re still trying to figure it out.’
‘I’m not sure what you want me to say.’
He nodded at her stomach. Amelia touched it unconsciously.
‘You are bringing a child into this world, who is half of Justin.’
She swallowed back hard at the thought. The thoughts of her child being like Justin, had haunted her daily, even though she tried not to think about it.
‘I understand that.’
‘Darkness cannot fight darkness,’ he said. ‘You, Miss Woods, are the light that he needs.’
‘But he hurt me, and I’m afraid that if he sees me this big, he’ll be
‘From today please call me Amelia,’ she said. ‘I’m Miss Woods the whole day, but here, I just want to be Amelia.’
‘Fair enough.’ He darted across to the desk, picked up her folder then sat opposite her like they normally did.
‘How are things?’ he asked.
‘Busy,’ she said. ‘Really busy; I don’t think I realised the amount of work I was taking on when I agreed to take over his assets. But I took your advice, and hired someone.’
‘And how is that working out?’
‘So much better, I don’t have to think about the small tasks, like my diary. All I have to do now is show up.’
He smiled and nodded.
‘It feels strange. One minute I’m Justin’s prisoner, the next I’m looking after his business.’
‘He trusts you.’
‘He is a terribly confusing man.’
‘I agree, but you have to admit, there is something about you that he loves.’
She thought about it a moment. That was true; it was always in his eyes.
‘How do you feel about him now, since we last spoke?’
She shut her eyes and then opened them.
‘It’s difficult. It’s hard not to think about him, he’s still pretty much controlling my life,’ she said. ‘I have a call with him today.’
‘Have you spoken to him about anything besides business?’
She shook her head.
‘You haven’t told him about the baby?’
Again she shook her head.
‘He has a right to know.’
‘I know, I’m just not ready.’
The old man sat back and opened the file. He scanned the contents of it, and then looked back at her.
‘Are you a Christian?’ he asked.
The question took her by surprise.
‘I went to Sunday school.’ She laughed lightly. ‘My parents are more of church goers than I am.’
‘Then you’ll have a pretty good grasp on bible scriptures.’ He ran his hand across his beard, and then crossed his legs. ‘I’m not a Christian myself, but I have studied the teachings of Jesus.’
Amelia watched and wondered where the conversation was heading. Was he going to hit her again with more of his words of wisdom?
‘I have to say, that Jesus was one of the greatest teachers that walked this earth.’
Amelia waited.
‘There is a particular verse I keep close to my heart.’ He smiled as he said this. ‘It’s in the book of John 8 verse 7, “Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.” In my career, I’ve always tried to live by those words.’ He took in a deep breath. ‘You’re probably thinking, why I’m telling you this.’
‘Yes, yes I am.’
‘Do you agree that we’re all made in His image? God’s image?’
‘I do.’
‘I do too, even though I’m not a practicing Christian, I do feel there is something, someone bigger at work. Sometimes, some of us come into this world broken. If Derrick –’
‘Justin,’ she corrected him.
‘I beg your pardon, old habits die hard.’ He smiled. ‘If Justin were born blind, it would’ve been easier for his family to show compassion, would it not?’
‘I would think so.’
‘Stick with me here,’ he said. ‘When a child is born, there is no thought of evil in that child. No one thought that Justin would one day murder his own brother. The problem with Justin is that his illness can’t be seen. It isn’t something we can see, like blindness or a deformity. The brain is so complex that we’re still trying to figure it out.’
‘I’m not sure what you want me to say.’
He nodded at her stomach. Amelia touched it unconsciously.
‘You are bringing a child into this world, who is half of Justin.’
She swallowed back hard at the thought. The thoughts of her child being like Justin, had haunted her daily, even though she tried not to think about it.
‘I understand that.’
‘Darkness cannot fight darkness,’ he said. ‘You, Miss Woods, are the light that he needs.’
‘But he hurt me, and I’m afraid that if he sees me this big, he’ll be
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