Sara's Soul by Deanna Kahler Page B

finished, Chip appeared. She had expected a smile from him, but he looked exhausted and serious.
    “Thank you for coming to my rescue last night,” she said.
    “Sure.”
    “I made you breakfast.”
    “Not hungry,” he said.
    “You can’t be serious,” she said. “Please eat something. I went through all the effort to make this for you.”
    Chip sat down quietly and grabbed a napkin. Sara walked over and planted a kiss on his cheek before taking her seat. Chip didn’t utter a word.
    The two ate their breakfast in silence, with Chip staring down at the table blankly. Sara feared she had upset him the night before.
    “Are you angry with me?” she asked.
    “No.”
    “Did I upset you?”
    “No.”
    Sara continued eating, hoping Chip would tell her what was wrong. He didn’t. Her usually upbeat boyfriend was uncharacteristically depressed today. Were her mood swings getting to him? Was her sadness rubbing off on him?
    “What wrong?” she asked finally.
    “Nothing.”
    “Liar,” she said.
    “I don’t want to talk about it.”
    “But talking helps. You know that. You’re a therapist. It’s what you do.”
    “This is personal,” he said.
    “So that makes it okay to shut me out?”
    “Sara, please leave it alone.”
    “Okay. Sorry.”
    Chip was quiet through the rest of their meal. He didn’t look at Sara. He gazed out the window. He fiddled with his fork. He stared at his orange juice. But he didn’t speak. Something’s really wrong , Sara thought. Maybe he wants to end our relationship. Maybe this Merek and Margaret thing is too much for him.
    Chip rose from the table and rinsed his plate at the sink. “Thank you for breakfast,” he said finally. “That was sweet of you.”
    “You’re welcome.”
    “I’m gonna take a shower,” he mumbled.
    “Okay,” she said. “Would you like me to join you?”
    “No,” he replied as he disappeared down the hallway.
    Sara sat in the kitchen alone, wondering what was up with him. She heard the running water of the shower. And then she heard something unexpected: Chip was sobbing.
    Her heart absorbed his sadness, and she wanted to run to him and comfort him. But she didn’t want to intrude on his private time. So she sat and waited for him to come out of the bathroom.
    When Chip finished, he headed back into the kitchen. “I need to head to the university,” he said. “I have a lot of work to do today.”
    “Okay,” Sara said quietly. “Will I see you later?”
    “Don’t know,” Chip said, as he headed for the door.
    “Chip… wait.”
    “What is it?”
    “I heard you crying,” she said. “Please tell me what’s wrong. Are you having second thoughts about our relationship?”
    “Of course not,” he said, pausing to give her a hug. “I love you.”
    “I love you, too,” she said with a sigh of relief. “I thought maybe that stuff with Merek and Margaret was bothering you.”
    “No, Sara,” he said. “You can’t help it if you have visions and feel other people’s pain. It’s just who you are. Besides, I believe Merek and Margaret were real people. What your connection is to them, I still don’t know. But feeling sad about Margaret’s loss is normal. You witnessed her boyfriend’s death, after all, and that had to be very traumatic.”
    “It was,” she agreed. “So what’s bothering you then? Is it your patient? The one who tried to commit suicide? Is she okay?”
    “She’s fine. It’s not that.”
    “Well, what then?”
    “It’s just that… things aren’t always what they seem.”
    “Are you talking about the afterlife and spirit communication again? I’m not saying they aren’t possible. I just haven’t seen enough evidence to convince me. I need more proof. I promise I’ll try to see what you see. Just give me time.”
    “No, Sara,” he said. “That’s not it either.”
    “Please, Chip,” she said. “I want to help. Please confide in me. I hate seeing you so down.”
    Chip’s eyes filled with tears.