| Chapter 53 Nick walked into Dr. McKenna's office, smiling, "Morning." "Good morning, Nick," the doctor said, looking up from his desk. Nick walked over and handed him an envelope. "What's this?" he asked. "Invitation," Nick answered, walking over to the frig and grabbing a bottled water, then returning to sit in front of the desk. Dr. McKenna opened it up and read it, "Thank you Nick, but I'm not sure I can make it." "Aww you have to," Nick pleaded, "You helped get me to this point, you gotta be there." Dr. McKenna considered the invitation for a moment then sat it down looking at Nick, "I'm flattered that you would want me to come, but I try to make it a point not to intrude on my patients personal lives." Nick laughed, "You're kidding right? You know more about my personal life than anyone." "Nick, what you tell me in here is confidential, it different than me showing up at a family bar-b-que," he said. "Well, you're not intruding, I'm inviting you. And it would break Diane's heart if you didn't come," Nick said. Dr. McKenna sighed, looking at the photo on his desk for a moment. "Nick, I haven't been to a wedding in very long time," he said, "Not since ...." "Since what?" Nick asked. "Not since Beth passed on," he answered. Nick stared at him, "Your wife?" He nodded, "She died a few years ago from cancer. We didn't catch it in time, and by the time we found out, it was to late. She was my other half, much like you and Diane. And since she's been gone, I've tried to stay away from the things that would remind me of her." "Shit, I'm sorry .... I didn't know," Nick apologized. Dr. McKenna smiled at him, "It's alright. I really have no idea why I just told you that." Nick grinned, "It's the face. I dunno why but all my life people have said I was easy to talk to." The doctor laughed, "Could be. Now, how are things going?" Nick took a drink of his water, "Good. The wedding is in a couple weeks, and Diane has everything done. We're just counting down the days." "Have you had anymore dreams?" he asked. Nick nodded, "Every once in a while, but the last one I had was different." "How?" the doctor asked. "Well, it started out the same. Diane was walking down the isle, and then Tim was there. He grabbed her, making the same threats as in all the others, but then something happened," he said, "I stood up to him. Instead of being frozen with fear, like all the others, I got angry. I stood up to him, got Diane away from him and told him to leave. That he wasn't going to rule my life anymore. He was dead, and he couldn't hurt me .... all this time I've been letting the memories and the dreams scare me, even though in reality they can't hurt me anymore. I've stopped doing that, I'm not running anymore." "That's very good Nick. Have you had any dreams since then?" he asked. "No, I haven't," Nick answered. Dr. McKenna wrote a few notes in Nick's chart, then looked at him, "You've found the key to putting all this behind you. You have to face your fears to find healing, and you're doing that." Nick smiled, then looked at him, "Doc, why can't you face yours?" Dr. McKenna sighed, "Nick, we're talking about you, not me." Nick shook his head, "I'm done talking about me. Besides, how can you expect your patients to get better, when you refuse to do the same?" "I don't refuse to get better Nick, I just choose not to do certain things," he said. "So you're running, just like I was," Nick told him, "Doc, you saw what that did to me. How long before it happens to you?" "Nick ...." "No, it's your turn to listen to me," Nick said, "You said your wife was your other half right? Like me and Di, you felt like a whole person with her there, and now that she's not, I imagine you feel lost inside, am I right?" The doctor nodded. "So instead of running from the things that remind you of her, embrace them. Do the things you both loved to do, sure it might hurt for a while, but wouldn't you rather celebrate what you had with her? Instead of hiding from it? If she was anything like Di, she's probably ready to knock you over the head for avoiding this for so long, am I right?" Nick asked. "Yeah, probably so," he admitted. Nick grinned at him, "See, I have been listening to you. So take your own advice, step out and make her proud of you. Come to our wedding." Dr. McKenna laughed and shook his head, "You know, you are the first patient to turn the tables on me." Nick smiled, "Don't let the blonde hair fool ya, I do use my brain every once in a while." They both chuckled. "So what do ya say?" Nick asked. Dr. McKenna looked at the picture once again, "What kind of doctor would I be if I didn't follow my own advice?" "A good one," Nick said, "But you can be great." "Alright Nick, I'll be there," he said. Nick grinned from ear to ear, getting up, "Thank you." "No, thank you," Dr. McKenna said, "And Nick, if the signing doesn't work out, I think you've got a career in counseling." Nick laughed, "I'll keep that in mind, see ya next week." Dr. McKenna watched him leave, then looked down at the photo again. "Well Beth, looks like we're going to a wedding," he said, smiling at her. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Diane walked down the pier to the end, sitting down. "Something wrong?" she asked. Nick looked at her and smiled, "Just thinking." "About what?" she asked. "Life," he said, "How much everything has changed." She nodded, "Yeah, a year ago I don't think any of us would've thought we'd gone through what we did." "Just when you think you have it all figured out, it does a 180 on you," Nick said. "Well, it wouldn't be interesting if it was the same all the time," she noted. "True, and what we go through helps to make us what we are, so they say," he added. Diane took his hand in hers, "Baby, are you um ..... are you nervous about the wedding?" He smiled down at her, "Some. It's the most important thing I'll ever do in my life. That kinda puts some pressure on ya." "But it's just us. Just because we have a ceremony, it doesn't change how we feel," she said. "I know, but because of who I am, it'll make it harder. People will expect me to fail, some of the fans will hate you just because I love you. We aren't gonna have a normal marriage," he said. She smiled at him, "Normal is overrated anyway. Nick I love you, and if that means that I have to deal with some fans that can't understand that you have a life of your own, then I will. And as for those people that want us to fail, well, they're gonna be disappointed." Nick smiled at her, "How did I get so lucky?" Diane laughed, "Gee I thought I was the lucky one." "You know, I realized something today," he said. "What's that?" she asked. "I was talking to Dr. McKenna and he didn't want to come to the wedding because it reminded him of his wife. Seems they were like us, each other's soul mates, and since she died, he's been avoiding the things they loved to do. I realized that life goes on, ya know? Even through all the heartache and love, nothing really ends, it just goes on," he said. Diane nodded, "Yeah it does, and we can either choose to go with it, or get left behind." "Exactly," Nick said. "So is he coming?" she asked. He nodded, "Yeah, it took some convincing, but he said he'd be there." Diane smiled, "Looks like your not the only one getting help in there." He laughed, "He told me I had a career in counseling." "Maybe you do," she said. Nick looked out at the water, thinking, "Yeah, maybe I do." Chapter 54 |