“A what?” Dr. Day smiled at him, nodding.
“It’s a doctor like me. We help patients figure out why they’re sad or unhappy. We get people to really think about what’s hurting on the inside. Sometimes it’s because someone hurt them. I’ve spoken to your mom’s doctor and that wasn’t the case at all. In fact, she couldn’t figure out why she was sad.”
“B-but I know when I’m sad,” he sniffed. “I know because I can tell dad that someone at school was mean or I didn’t do all my chores at home and I can’t watch television. How come she didn’t know?”
“Oh, my sweet son,” said his father. “I’m not sure we’ll ever know. What I do know, what I am sure is true, is that your mother loved us in her way. She was sad and confused and I wish she would have told me sooner but we are left with this.
“From now on, it will be just you and me. I want you to promise that if you’re sad, confused, or worried, you will always come to me and always tell me. I promise that I’ll do the same with you. Is that fair?”
“Yes,” he whispered.
“The next few days will be hard, Shep. We have to plan mom’s funeral,” said his father.
“Like grandma Wilde,” he said nodding.
“Exactly. We’ll make sure she has beautiful fl-flowers,” choked his father. “She’ll be at peace and we’ll visit her whenever you want to.”
It was the worst week of Shepherd’s life. He watched as they lowered his mother into the ground, his strong father crumbling to his knees. In spite of it all, his father kept his word. They talked about everything. Nothing was off limits and it taught Shep that everyone needed someone to talk to.
“Your mama was in pain, like our new ghosts here,” said Irene.
“You heard all of that,” he smirked, shaking his head. Irene nodded, gripping the young man’s hand. “Yes, she was in pain. She didn’t leave a note, didn’t leave a journal, just a broken husband and a sad son. Don’t get me wrong, my father made a great life for the two of us. He was a hardworking, solid man and I’m grateful every day that I had him.”
“You became a psychiatrist because of your mother.”
“I did. My father was in the military once and I wanted to honor that as well, so getting my degree and joining the Army seemed the right thing to do. I loved serving. I loved helping our men and women cope but the Army and the VA don’t exactly jump through hoops to give them everything they need. It was hard for me.”
“When you left what did you do?” asked Irene.
“You know what I did,” he smiled. “But thank you for asking. Private practice for a while but I couldn’t listen to the whining about inconsequential things any longer. I was working in a part of the city where women had a lot of free time and a lot of money. A dangerous combination.
“All day every day it was complaining that they were underappreciated, and some were. They didn’t get enough ‘allowance’ to buy the bag they wanted or the car they wanted. Their husbands were cheating and they were looking the other way because they didn’t want to lose their status. It made me ill.”
“It would make me ill too, honey,” said Irene. “And then you ran into Duncan.”
“Yes. Strange. I hadn’t seen him in years and suddenly we were bumping into one another. Odd how the world works, isn’t it?”
“It is, isn’t it baby. But it brings you to where you’re supposed to be. Your mama loved you, Shep. She just couldn’t make the sad go away.”
“You know that? For sure?” he asked not sure if he believed Irene or not.
“I know it for sure baby. She’s proud of you and all you’ve done. I’m proud of you,” she said standing, kissing his forehead and smiling down on him. Tears filled his eyes and he just laughed, shaking his head.
“Mama Irene, you will never know how much I needed to hear that today. I needed to hear that she loved me and that I’m doing the right thing here. Maybe I’m the one that needs the psychiatrist,” he grinned.
“Well, I’m not licensed but you can always talk to me, honey. Me or Matthew, Ruby, Sven, George and Mary. We’re old but experience is worth its weight in gold sometimes.”
“Yes, it is. In fact, I’d take experience like yours over a million college degrees any day of the week. Believe me, I think it’s worth a helluva lot more,” laughed Shep. “Thank you, Mama Irene.”
“You’re welcome, baby.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“I’m not sure where we go next,” said Cam. “By all accounts, Edie Rose was hardworking, loving, happy, and had just received the most amazing news ever. Her mother was cancer-free.”
“I agree with you. It doesn’t make sense,” said Adam. “She has no hidden secrets, no debt other than that for her mother’s breast cancer and her grandmother’s nursing care.”
“This sucks. She’s just out there, sad and stuck in this world. She can’t come forward and she can’t go back,” said Adam.
