PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7 | PART 8 | PART 9

“Rich, how long are you going to force that child to keep this secret?”

“Gwynne, you know how folks will react when they find out.”

“That’s your pride talking, Rich.  It’s been 10-years and you know what Evie gave up to keep her promise to you.”

“Don’t you think I feel horrible about that? I didn’t ask her to break off her engagement.  She sent that letter without telling me.”

“You could have told her it would fine to tell her fiancé about your condition, love.”

“I know, I know, I was afraid, but what’s done is done, right?”

“These things have a way of coming back on us, love.  It’s time to wake up now.  Isn’t that Evie calling you to breakfast?  You don’t want to be late for church now, do you?”

Richmond Barnett woke with a jolt.  That was how it always was with him and his Gwynne whenever he was blessed to dream about her.  “Thank God for long term memories,” he thought quietly to himself while reaching for his notebook and pen.  He quickly wrote down the gist of his dream before it slipped away from him as was his practice for the last ten years.  “Some people just don’t realize how precious memories are,” he chuckled as he laid his two constant companions down and got up to turn on one of his most prized possessions, a vintage record player.  As was his ritual every time his Gwynne paid him a visit, he played “their song”.  They just don’t make music like this anymore, he thought as he started singing back up for The Friends of Distinction “Going in Circles” as he moved toward the bathroom to take care of his morning needs.  Midway through brushing his teeth a strange and yet increasingly familiar feeling came over him.  Looking up he saw a strange man in the mirror staring back with confusion clouding his face.  “Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my house!” Richmond yelled as he turned swinging to punch the intruder.  His fist connected with the porcelain wall behind him and pain exploded up his arm as he fell to the floor yelling for help.

Eva heard he father suddenly start yelling from the bathroom and quickly turned down the heat on the stove range where she was cooking breakfast, grabbed the first aid kit and made her way over to the bathroom and knocked, “Daddy, are you okay?!?” she asked before trying the handle.  It was locked of course, so she reached up to the hidey key above the door and used it to enter the bathroom to figure out what was going on.

Richmond heard the voice on the other side of the door.  It sounded female and full of concern but he couldn’t place it.  Unsure as to whether or not he should say anything, he was about to answer when he heard the door knob turn and a tall woman entered carrying a first aid kit.

“Daddy, what’s wrong? What happened to your hand?!?”  Eva looked at her father and realized that he was in the midst of one of his episodes.  It broke her heart to see him look at her and not recognize her but she knew what she had to do.