still not giving me what I want.”
“ And what’s
that?”
“ I want her to acknowledge
the fact that we’re married and stop treating this like a joke. I
want her to let the therapists we have at this resort help her
overcome her grief...help her move on from Melvin so she can see me
for the man I am. But every time I try to get her to take a step
forward in the right direction, she takes three steps back and I
just can’t keep getting my hopes up, trying to convince myself
she’ll come around and she never does.”
“ That’s tough, bro, but I
have to say I think you’ve done the right thing here. You gave her
the option to leave. Now the ball is in her court, and I know you
would prefer to be an active participant in this process for her,
but it’s your turn to be a spectator. I know that’s difficult for
you, Mr. C.E.O., but you have to sit back, relax and let her make
the next move. Then you’ll know how to move forward.”
“ And what if she leaves?”
Dante said rubbing his hand across his head, frustrated. “I really
don’t want her to leave, even though I told her to go.”
“ Dang, bro. This girl really
got you going...sounds to me like you might’ve fallen in love with
Ms. Emily.”
Dimitrius was right. He had fallen in love
with Emily, and fallen hard.
“ Do you love her?” Dimitrius
asked.
“ Yes. I love her. I love
everything about her except for the unhealthy fixation she has with
her deceased husband.”
“ It must be love. I’ve never seen you so
intent on getting a woman.”
Dante sighed.
“ Unfortunately, though, you
may have to let her go,” Dimitrius advised.
Dante frowned. It wasn’t something he wanted
to hear, but he knew Dimitrius would tell you straight up whether
you wanted to hear it or not.
“ I understand that,” Dante
said, “Even though I can’t accept it. I won’t accept
it.”
“ Then you know what you have
to do, right? You have to tell her how you feel, Dante. Tell her
you love her, that you want this marriage to work and you’ll do
everything in your power to make it work.”
Dante nodded.
* * *
Dante had been nervous about going back up
to the suite. If her suitcase was missing, then he was certain she
was on her way back home.
When he arrived, he saw her suitcase on the
bed. Some clothes were in it, neatly folded. Another small pile of
clothes were lying on the bed next to the suitcase. She’d certainly
been packing, but she wasn’t there at the moment.
* * *
“ And where’s Mr. Champion,
Emily?” the therapist asked. “We need both parties in our group
sessions.”
Emily had ventured down to the last group
therapy session of the evening. In the midst of packing her bags
and leaving, she got the urge to do what Dante had been pestering
her to do for days now – share her story. So instead of going home,
she headed downstairs to do just that.
Emily stood up and said, “I don’t know where
he is, but I’ve never participated in group and I want to this
evening. I need to.”
“ Okay, then. Go right
ahead.”
“ Um,” Emily began, her hands
balled into fists as she tried to ease her nervousness. Her eyes
filled with tears and her heart was being hammered with ferocious
beats. “Um...”
“ Just take your time, Emily.
We’re all friends here.”
“ Okay...um...I was married
to a wonderful man named Melvin Mitchell. He was the light of my
life...the love of my life and he died in a car accident two years
ago. I thought...” she said, and her voice cracked. “I thought that
if I ignored what I felt, the pain would go away but it hasn’t.”
Her lips trembled as she tried to get her thoughts
together.
“ Take your time, Emily,” the
therapist said, watching Emily struggle.
“ I...I remember getting the
phone call like the accident just happened yesterday. I was at home
and I sped to the hospital, trying to get there as
fast...as...I...could, but,” her lips trembled. “But I...” she
said,
“ And what’s
that?”
“ I want her to acknowledge
the fact that we’re married and stop treating this like a joke. I
want her to let the therapists we have at this resort help her
overcome her grief...help her move on from Melvin so she can see me
for the man I am. But every time I try to get her to take a step
forward in the right direction, she takes three steps back and I
just can’t keep getting my hopes up, trying to convince myself
she’ll come around and she never does.”
“ That’s tough, bro, but I
have to say I think you’ve done the right thing here. You gave her
the option to leave. Now the ball is in her court, and I know you
would prefer to be an active participant in this process for her,
but it’s your turn to be a spectator. I know that’s difficult for
you, Mr. C.E.O., but you have to sit back, relax and let her make
the next move. Then you’ll know how to move forward.”
“ And what if she leaves?”
Dante said rubbing his hand across his head, frustrated. “I really
don’t want her to leave, even though I told her to go.”
“ Dang, bro. This girl really
got you going...sounds to me like you might’ve fallen in love with
Ms. Emily.”
Dimitrius was right. He had fallen in love
with Emily, and fallen hard.
“ Do you love her?” Dimitrius
asked.
“ Yes. I love her. I love
everything about her except for the unhealthy fixation she has with
her deceased husband.”
“ It must be love. I’ve never seen you so
intent on getting a woman.”
Dante sighed.
“ Unfortunately, though, you
may have to let her go,” Dimitrius advised.
Dante frowned. It wasn’t something he wanted
to hear, but he knew Dimitrius would tell you straight up whether
you wanted to hear it or not.
“ I understand that,” Dante
said, “Even though I can’t accept it. I won’t accept
it.”
“ Then you know what you have
to do, right? You have to tell her how you feel, Dante. Tell her
you love her, that you want this marriage to work and you’ll do
everything in your power to make it work.”
Dante nodded.
* * *
Dante had been nervous about going back up
to the suite. If her suitcase was missing, then he was certain she
was on her way back home.
When he arrived, he saw her suitcase on the
bed. Some clothes were in it, neatly folded. Another small pile of
clothes were lying on the bed next to the suitcase. She’d certainly
been packing, but she wasn’t there at the moment.
* * *
“ And where’s Mr. Champion,
Emily?” the therapist asked. “We need both parties in our group
sessions.”
Emily had ventured down to the last group
therapy session of the evening. In the midst of packing her bags
and leaving, she got the urge to do what Dante had been pestering
her to do for days now – share her story. So instead of going home,
she headed downstairs to do just that.
Emily stood up and said, “I don’t know where
he is, but I’ve never participated in group and I want to this
evening. I need to.”
“ Okay, then. Go right
ahead.”
“ Um,” Emily began, her hands
balled into fists as she tried to ease her nervousness. Her eyes
filled with tears and her heart was being hammered with ferocious
beats. “Um...”
“ Just take your time, Emily.
We’re all friends here.”
“ Okay...um...I was married
to a wonderful man named Melvin Mitchell. He was the light of my
life...the love of my life and he died in a car accident two years
ago. I thought...” she said, and her voice cracked. “I thought that
if I ignored what I felt, the pain would go away but it hasn’t.”
Her lips trembled as she tried to get her thoughts
together.
“ Take your time, Emily,” the
therapist said, watching Emily struggle.
“ I...I remember getting the
phone call like the accident just happened yesterday. I was at home
and I sped to the hospital, trying to get there as
fast...as...I...could, but,” her lips trembled. “But I...” she
said,
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