instead turning her focus on her father who quietly stood by her mother’s side, still holding her hand.
“Dad, did you know what was going on?”
He nodded. “I’ve been trying to get your mother to go to rehab, but so far she’s refused. At first I blamed myself for it, that I’d driven her to seek relief in a pill bottle, but after going to therapy and doing a lot of soul searching I realized that while my actions may have contributed to her addiction, that the actual addiction itself is an insidious disease.”
“You’ve been in therapy?”
“Of course.” He glanced at Wyatt then back at Michelle. “While I haven’t been directly in the line of fire during this never-ending series of wars in the Middle East, I’ve had to deal with the fact that decisions I’ve made have gotten good men and women killed. I’ve had to meet with grieving parents, visit with our troops in the hospital, and attend more funerals than I care to remember. I didn’t want to burden your mother with my issues, not when I’d betrayed her, so it started to bottle up inside of me until I couldn’t sleep at night. I…I only went to get help when your mother told me she would leave me if I didn’t. In my selfishness I never saw how much she needed help as well. I’ve done many things in my life that I’m not proud of, but my worst was being a bad husband.”
Mrs. Sapphire briefly touched his face with their joined hands. “ But you never gave up on us.”
“ And I never will. I mean it, Bethany, I will do whatever it takes to make things right between us. That’s why I’m going to cut this short. We need to get you in a car and off to rehab where they can help you with easing you off of these drugs and get you the therapy you need before you change your mind.”
To Wyatt’s surprise Michelle’s mother grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “I promise. This time I’m going. Anytime I think about chickening out I’ll remember being so screwed up that I broke my daughter’s trust in me. I realize I’ve done so many horrible things to you Michelle, and while I’d like to blame it on the drugs I think…I think my mind may not be quite right sometimes.”
Michelle stared at her mother. “What do you mean?”
Mrs. Sapphire looked away, her gaze going to the windows looking out over the now-dark backyard. “My whole life I’ve had anxiety, a need for order and structure to keep me in balance. My mother was the same way, if not worse. I used to think that I just had a very good work ethic, that my need for control wasn’t anything unusual. But I’m beginning to see that isn’t true, that there may be something wrong with the way I think, with the way my mind processes things. I have issues from my past that I need to deal with, and even though I hate admitting it, I need help.”
“Come on, honey, it’s time to go.” Senator Sapphire pulled Mrs. Sapphire to the door. “Wyatt, I’m sorry we had to meet under these circumstances, but you have my blessings. Kidnap my daughter and take her to some beautiful island, and don’t let her go until she agrees to marry you.”
Michelle stiffened against him and he tried to keep his tone light as he said, “Will do.”
Moments later they were alone again and Wyatt slowly turned her in his arms. “How are you holding up?”
Her lower lip trembled, but she lifted her chin. “I’ll survive.”
“Come on, Domina, let’s get you back to the hotel and we’ll take a bath where I’ll pamper you, then I’ll make love to you until you pass out.”
She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. “ Thank you Wyatt. I don’t deserve you.”
“Ditto.”
The next afternoon Wyatt followed Michelle through the entrance to the massive atrium where the wedding would take place. The atrium itself was over six stories high and boasted fully grown potted palm trees and a variety of fountains. While it didn’t have butterflies, it did have elaborate festoons of
“Dad, did you know what was going on?”
He nodded. “I’ve been trying to get your mother to go to rehab, but so far she’s refused. At first I blamed myself for it, that I’d driven her to seek relief in a pill bottle, but after going to therapy and doing a lot of soul searching I realized that while my actions may have contributed to her addiction, that the actual addiction itself is an insidious disease.”
“You’ve been in therapy?”
“Of course.” He glanced at Wyatt then back at Michelle. “While I haven’t been directly in the line of fire during this never-ending series of wars in the Middle East, I’ve had to deal with the fact that decisions I’ve made have gotten good men and women killed. I’ve had to meet with grieving parents, visit with our troops in the hospital, and attend more funerals than I care to remember. I didn’t want to burden your mother with my issues, not when I’d betrayed her, so it started to bottle up inside of me until I couldn’t sleep at night. I…I only went to get help when your mother told me she would leave me if I didn’t. In my selfishness I never saw how much she needed help as well. I’ve done many things in my life that I’m not proud of, but my worst was being a bad husband.”
Mrs. Sapphire briefly touched his face with their joined hands. “ But you never gave up on us.”
“ And I never will. I mean it, Bethany, I will do whatever it takes to make things right between us. That’s why I’m going to cut this short. We need to get you in a car and off to rehab where they can help you with easing you off of these drugs and get you the therapy you need before you change your mind.”
To Wyatt’s surprise Michelle’s mother grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “I promise. This time I’m going. Anytime I think about chickening out I’ll remember being so screwed up that I broke my daughter’s trust in me. I realize I’ve done so many horrible things to you Michelle, and while I’d like to blame it on the drugs I think…I think my mind may not be quite right sometimes.”
Michelle stared at her mother. “What do you mean?”
Mrs. Sapphire looked away, her gaze going to the windows looking out over the now-dark backyard. “My whole life I’ve had anxiety, a need for order and structure to keep me in balance. My mother was the same way, if not worse. I used to think that I just had a very good work ethic, that my need for control wasn’t anything unusual. But I’m beginning to see that isn’t true, that there may be something wrong with the way I think, with the way my mind processes things. I have issues from my past that I need to deal with, and even though I hate admitting it, I need help.”
“Come on, honey, it’s time to go.” Senator Sapphire pulled Mrs. Sapphire to the door. “Wyatt, I’m sorry we had to meet under these circumstances, but you have my blessings. Kidnap my daughter and take her to some beautiful island, and don’t let her go until she agrees to marry you.”
Michelle stiffened against him and he tried to keep his tone light as he said, “Will do.”
Moments later they were alone again and Wyatt slowly turned her in his arms. “How are you holding up?”
Her lower lip trembled, but she lifted her chin. “I’ll survive.”
“Come on, Domina, let’s get you back to the hotel and we’ll take a bath where I’ll pamper you, then I’ll make love to you until you pass out.”
She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. “ Thank you Wyatt. I don’t deserve you.”
“Ditto.”
The next afternoon Wyatt followed Michelle through the entrance to the massive atrium where the wedding would take place. The atrium itself was over six stories high and boasted fully grown potted palm trees and a variety of fountains. While it didn’t have butterflies, it did have elaborate festoons of
Similar Books
