YAHOO MY BOOK IS AVAILABLE NOW - CHECK IT OUT - FOR A SHORT TIME I WILL GIVE THIS E-BOOK FOR FREE IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW. INTERESTED? LET ME KNOW BELOW:  
http://www.amazon.com/Sometimes-Love-Hurts-ebook/dp/B00ANPDM16/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355451727&sr=1-1&keywords=sometimes++love+hurts#_

Me newest book called SOMETIMES LOVE HURTS will be available on Amazon December 15, 2012.  For a short time I would love to give you my book for free in exchange for a review on Amazon. Let me know if you are interested.

Below I have the first three chapters for you to read.  I hope you read & enjoy this book and as always I would love to read a review.

I also want to thank my readers for enjoying my books.

I would love to hear what you think of the first three chapters. Please leave a remark on the contact form at the end of the chapters. Thank  You!!
(I am so excited. Finally someone wrote to me to tell me what they think.12/7/2012)

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Chapter 1


Present - Crystal’s Predicament

 It’s going to be another night alone, Crystal thought. She put some chicken pot pie on her plate and sat in front of the computer to eat and check her email.  Blake had not walked in the door and it seemed to have become a habit that he did not even call or text her to say that he would be late.  

Crystal tossed aside her long brown hair with a few blonde streaks before settling in her favorite chair as she tightly held a pillow she had made for Blake for their first anniversary. She had been crying so much
because she was afraid that the man she loved so very much seemed to have stopped loving her in return. Tear stains covered the carefully knitted Bible verse on one side of the pillow saying “Whatever God has put together, let no man separate” Mark 10:9. She and Blake had been married just over a year and she
thought their love had just began to blossom. She couldn’t stop thinking if something bad had happened to him; was he injured, in some sort of trouble, alone, or even worse, not. What could she have done to upset him so much that he no longer wanted to come home she thought as the words kept repeating over and over again in her head, taunting her, and filling her heart with guilt. 

Blake towered over Crystal at six feet tall compared to her five foot one height.  His dirty blond
hair and green eyes had her hypnotized since the day she first laid her dark Italian roast eyes, what he called them, on him.  He was very kind and unforgettably thoughtful. In fact, he always complimented her on her clothing, hair, and accessories every chance he could.

Anytime she was upset or in a bad mood, he would act like her favorite Auguste Clown just to cheer her up so he could see that sweet smile of hers.  They seemed to not only get along well, but have a lot in common, too, such as hiking, bike riding, and gardening, or so it seemed.   Blake’s church attendance with her was spotless where she served as the Second Grade Sunday School Teacher. Afterward, they would lounge around the house reading magazines or work together on her flower garden. Blake enjoyed cooking new recipes and Crystal loved being his guinea pig. He was good for her in every way possible; which made it even more difficult to understand what had gone so terribly wrong. His absenteeism slowly increased her own frustration caused her headaches and Excedrin seemed to be her only comfort
these days.

Crystal first met Blake, a restaurant manager, at the 7-11 store where she worked. She looked forward to his presence every morning and could not get enough of his smile or the sound of his velvety voice. Each morning when he would come in for coffee, he would always politely thank her for making it for
him, just the way he liked it. Finally one day he mustered every ounce of confidence he had to ask her out on a date. His hands were slightly shaking as he handed her a dollar bill to cover the cost of his coffee. There was not one waiting in line behind him, so he knew he could take his time, but became
frozen, moving at a glacial pace just staring at her. How could she resist those beautiful green eyes peering into her soul like that? Before he could even finish asking his question, she interrupted him with a humble yes. That is where their love story began, with politeness, simplicity, courage, and humility. 
  
It was 6pm the night of their first date, and Crystal was anxiously waiting while looking out the window every couple of seconds. Any minute now Blake would arrive at her doorstep to take her out for dinner. She kept debating with herself if she should wait for him outside so she could just walk into the car when he pulls up or inside and wait for the doorbell to ring before greeting him. She didn’t want to appear anxious or desperate. She ran to the mirror to check on her hair and makeup one more time. 
There was this annoying cowlick that she inherited from her mother and no matter the amount of Aqua Net Hairspray she used, it still made it awkward appearance. While feeling defeated, she remembered a specific morning that Blake briskly walked in for his usual morning cup of coffee. He was running late for work and his shirt was buttoned incorrectly. She didn’t have the heart to tell him; in fact, it was a side of him she had never seen, an imperfect side, a side that reminded her that he too was human, and it made him even more attractive to her. Her thoughts were instantly interrupted by the knocking on the front door. He had arrived.

She jumped at the sound of his knock and turned to run to the door. She slowed her pace, caught her breath, quickly ran her fingers through her hair, and stood for a few seconds behind the door with her hand on the doorknob. She could see his silhouette through the opaque window to the left of the front door. He hadn’t left. He was standing there waiting for her. She casually opened the door and was pleasantly surprised by the bouquet of yellow daisies. That was her favorite flower, how did he know? He must have remembered a conversation they had months ago. How thoughtful she kept thinking as he
followed her to the kitchen for a vase and water. 

They seemed to hit it off right from the beginning.  One of their favorite places to go was a karaoke bar where they ate burgers and took turns singing oldies.

She would never forget the night he asked her to marry him. They went to the karaoke bar and to her surprise a bunch of her friends were there also. She usually saw a few of her friends but it seemed like the bar was full of her friends. They ate laughed and watched as others got up to sing. They called Blake’s name and he winked at her before he took his place on the stage. The music started and she knew the
tune, it was from Aerosmith, “I don’t want to miss a thing”. Blake had a good voice and she enjoyed watching him perform. As the song came to the end he walked up to her and got down on one knee pulling out a ring box. She drew a deep breath. Was this really happening? Here? Now? In front of all these people?  

He said the words and asked her to marry him, and told her he would be the luckiest man in the world if she accepted. Tears formed in her eyes as she opened up the box, looking at the delicate diamond ring in front of her. The bar was quiet, everyone waiting for her answer.  She quickly wiped the tears that escaped and ran down her cheeks and threw her arms around him saying yes over and over again. She was the happiest girl in the world. After that, he sent her a text every day with some cute saying along with the message, “I love you always.”And after they married, he asked her to quit her job.

“No wife of mine is going to work,” he said.  “I can support the two of us.  Later when we have babies, your job will be to take care of them.”   

Crystal managed to keep herself busy by making their home a comfortable retreat. Blake would go shopping with her on weekends to help furnish their home. They painted the house together, picked out the furniture together and shaped the house they bought into their own individual home.  Blake told Crystal she had a good eye as she would go shopping for the little things like lamps and knickknacks. Each had a personal meaning to them, like the blue vase with the picture of daisies on it which reminded her of the first time he gave her flowers. The spot light she bought for the living room, reminded her of the lights in the karaoke bar where Blake proposed to her. Her weekdays were full of cleaning and cooking but in the evening around six pm Blake would come home holding flowers or a card and that beautiful smile that she loved so much.  He never missed a night without telling her how beautiful she was and how much he missed her. She loved the feel of his arms around her. It was always like magic - dinner on the table, dishes together - before retiring to watch some television and lie in each other’s arms.  A night never went by without giving themselves to each other, before peacefully falling asleep. 

Over the past couple of months, however,  Blake had grown distant and all of those memories seemed to bombard her.  He just did not respond to her like he used to do. His restaurant was taken over by new owners and he often arrived home late from work and sometimes she caught him sending a text before hiding his phone in his pant pocket.  If she asked him whom he was communicating with, he grew angry and told her in a gruff voice, “It’s just problems at work.”   

She remembered when Blake brought her to his job to introduce her to his new bosses. “Hi Katherine,” said Blake after he introduced Crystal to the other new owners. “I would like you to meet my wife Crystal.”  Crystal put out her hand to shake Katherine’s but Katherine barely touched Crystals’ fingers with her handshake.  

“Nice to meet you,” Katherine said. “You know you have a hard working husband here and I really appreciate him.” Katherine shook her head to the side and smiled quickly before giving her head a jerk back. Her eyes looked at Crystal for a moment and then left.

“Thank you,” Said Crystal with a big smile. “I know he is a real gem.”

“Well just to let you know he will be quite busy for the next few weeks. Hope you will be alright home alone.”  It was silent for a few seconds. “Looks like you are busy yourself.” She continued. “When is the baby due?”  

“Soon,” said Crystal as she took her hands and rubbed her belly. “We are both so excited.” Crystal noticed that Katherine wasn’t looking at her, but starring at her husband as they were talking. 

“Right honey?” said Crystal as she put her arm around his arm.  He smiled and shook his head
before giving her hand a squeeze.

“Oh Blake,” said Katherine. “Can I have a moment of your time in the kitchen?”  She looked at Crystal. “You don’t mind do you? He will be right back.”  Next she put her arm around his arm leading him to the kitchen leaving Crystal alone. 

It seems since that day things were different at home and Crystal had doubts about the working relationship with her husband and Katherine.

A woman knows and Crystal could tell that this woman had a passion for her husband.

Crystal could not remember a specific time when it stopped but somewhere along the way, she began to feel lonely.  After a couple of weeks dealing with her husband’s strange behavior, she grew irritated and made sure to let him know it.  After that, Blake did not even text her anymore to say he would be late. 
That’s when she realized that something was horribly wrong.  The days for her seemed so long and lonely, and the nights were full of bitterness. When Blake did come home, he would not be hungry and went straight to bed.  Although they still slept in the same bed, their backs were to each other. Neither one, it seemed, was willing or able to break the ice and speak first.  Both were stubborn and blamed the other for this alienation of affection. As for Crystal, she had no idea how long she could bear this way of life.  


                                                                  Chapter 2


Present - Broken
Hearted
 
As Crystal drove tears streamed down her face while the sky was gray and seemed to be crying along with her. With her tears falling and a heavy rain slapping the windshield, it was all she could do to see the road in front of her.  How she made it to her mother’s house, she’ll never know. The Christian channel blared on her car radio with the song “Our God (Is Greater)”. It always seemed to be difficult times when she felt the need to bathe herself in Christian music. Between the tears, she sang the chorus: then if our God is for us, then who can ever stop us and if our God is with us, then what can stand against us.

“Where are you now, God,” she screamed in her mind. 

Squealing into the driveway, she finally made it to the only place that made her feel secure. 
She needed to talk to her mother more than ever.  First she texted Blake, ‘Gonna stay at my
mom’s for a while.  Gonna give you some space and time with your girlfriend.’

Next, Crystal leapt from the car and raced toward her mother’s comforting arms.

“There, there,” Lisa said holding her tight, “come in out of the cold and tell me what’s going on.”   
 
Crystal removed her jacket, showing off her new tummy before she turned toward her mother with
 eyes that were puffy and red.  She had obviously been crying – a lot.

“Let me make you some tea,” Lisa suggested.

She gently put an arm around her daughter and helped her into the kitchen.  You know what they
 say; the kitchen is the heart of the home. Lisa had just finished baking cookies and the smell was inviting.  Crystal grabbed a chair while her mother offered her a box of Kleenex before pouring the water into the teakettle. 

“I just don’t know what to do?” stammered Crystal before blowing her nose.  

Lisa grabbed two coffee cups and placed them on the table. 

“Take a deep breath and start from the beginning, sweetie.”

“Mom, we don’t even talk to each other anymore,” she stuttered between tears.  “I don’t understand
why he doesn’t realize that I need him now more than ever.”

Lisa hustled around the kitchen as she listened to her daughter.  The whistle sounded letting her know the water was ready.  She placed tea bags in both cups, poured the water and set some fresh
baked cookies in the center of the table.  Then she grabbed a chair and nodded for her daughter to continue. Crystal took a deep breath and let a few more tears fall before she began. 

“Mom, I saw some lipstick on the collar of Blake’s shirt today when I was sorting the laundry.”  

For a moment, she could not control herself as more tears gushed from her eyes.  

“What am I supposed to do with that?” she asked.  “We’re having a baby and it sure looks like he’s cheating on me?” 

Although Crystal had been suspicious for several weeks, this was the first time she ever mentioned it to her mother so it came as quite a shock.  Lisa took a deep breath before she spoke.  

“Are you sure that he’s cheating on you?” she asked ever so carefully.  “It could be a hundred
different things.  Blake loves you.  I see it in his eyes whenever he looks at you.”  

“Are you taking his side?” Crystal asked abruptly. 

Her body stiffened and she stared at her mother like she had just lost her best friend.

“No sweetie, I’m not taking any sides.” 

Crystal looked puzzled by that statement. All was quiet for a moment as they sipped their tea and took bites of their cookies.  

“Has dad ever cheated on you?” she asked.

Lisa shook her head no. Maybe that was the reason she was meant to read those journals. They had helped her to understand love to the fullest.  She and her husband, Joey, had learned from her parents’ mistakes but perhaps for Crystal, they would prove to be the real test.  She said a silent prayer and asked God to provide her with the right words to say to her daughter.

“Honey, are you in a hurry to get home?” Lisa asked. 

Crystal shook her head.  She had not yet told her mom that she did not want to return home that
night.  She really needed to take a break from Blake.

“Good, let’s take our tea and cookies into the living room.  I want you to get comfortable as I tell you a story.” 
 
Curiously, Crystal followed her mother into the living room and settled on the couch. Lisa left and returned moments later with some journals in her hands that were tied shut with yellow ribbons.

“I’m going to share with you, my parents’ past.”

Crystal looked at her oddly.  “Grandma and grandpa have been dead for years,” she said.  “I never even
got to meet them.”

Lisa took out their wedding picture and handed it to her daughter.  

“These two people taught me more about love and life than I could ever teach you,” she said, “but I think maybe it’s time they teach you about those things too.”

“Beautiful picture mom,” Crystal said handing it back.  “I see a little of you in her.”

“Ha ha,” Lisa laughed.  “That’s what my friends tell me when they see a picture of you.” 
Crystal smiled.  It was a compliment to say that she resembled her mother. 

“You need to call Blake to let him know where you are and not to worry about you.  This is going to
take a while and you might want to spend the night if it’s too late.”   

Crystal didn’t mention to her mother that she already sent one.  She then leaned back on the
couch ready to hear what her mother had to say. 

“You know honey, love and marriage are probably the hardest jobs you will ever undertake,” Lisa began as she settled next to her.  “I’m going to go back in time to a day when I was in college.  That was over twenty-five years ago but I remember it as if it were yesterday.”


                                                                            Chapter 3

Ghosts of the Past:   Lisa’s Story

Lisa Da’mico lay on her parents’ bed with her eyes closed imagining that her parents were still around her. She could still smell the Old Spice aftershave on her father’s pillowcase.  Her mind drifted back to a time when she was a child.  Lisa rubbed vinegar on her father’s head while he explained that his hair would grow if she massaged it.  And she could still hear her mother laughing.


“You’d say anything to get a head rub from that child, wouldn’t you?”  Her dad, Michael, extended his arm, squeezed Lisa’s waist and whispered, “We’ll show her, won’t we?  My bald spot will soon have
hair again.”  Then he pointed out a few new sprouts of hair. Those made Lisa giggle and continue the hair rubs anticipating new growth.  That was such a long time ago.  

As Lisa lay on her parents’ bed a few teardrops escaped from her eyes and ran toward her ears onto the pillow.  She finished reading the journals her mother had made for her and finally understood what her mother was trying to relate to her.

Lisa had been raised on the south side of Chicago. A college student, she attended Loyola University College.  She was never one to worry much about her appearance.  She had long brown hair that she usually tied into a braid and never wore much makeup -maybe some mascara on occasion but she was far more interested in her studies than her looks.  She planned to be a teacher and wanted to be home with her children, that is whenever she eventually married and had them.  Being a teacher would allow her to have each summer off, plus be able to spend holidays with her kids.

Sitting up, Lisa wiped her face dry with the back of her hand and thought of her dad again. It
seemed like just yesterday when he passed away.  Michael had managed a bakery until he became ill.   She wanted to remember the fun times she spent with him, like the day they all dressed up to celebrate Halloween with a party at his workplace. She and her parents all became clowns for the day.  The bakery warehouse was decorated in a spooky manner with orange and black streamers falling from the ceiling and matching balloons attached.  They placed oversized cobwebs on the walls and created a couple of large pretend spiders that appeared to be crawling toward them. They also played funny music like the “Monster Mash” and there were games like Dunk for Apples and making mummies out of each other using toilet paper.  To further the fun and the scares, a haunted house was created in one of
the warehouse trucks.  Some of the male employees dressed like zombies and vampires, and jumped out of the darkness to frighten all who were brave enough to enter.  A couple of the men held power saws
that hummed when they ran after some of the kids and their mothers.  All that excitement made everyone hungry, so there were plenty of Sloppy Joeys, potato chips and candy.  
 
       
Lisa desperately needed to hang on to these memories because the last couple of years of her father’s life were definitely not fun anymore.  Michael’s kidneys failed and her mother, Natalie, took care of him full time.  Lisa was living at school per her parents’ request while Natalie was busy taking Michael to dialysis, trying to make him eat something each day and always reminding him to take his medication.  When he ran a fever, she rushed him to the hospital and sat with him for hours on end. It certainly took a toll on her. Natalie looked as though she had aged many years in just a short time.  Finally when Michael was
too weak to climb the stairs to their bedroom, Natalie had a hospital bed put into the living room. 

It was one of the hardest things her mother ever had to do. Lisa remembered her mother telling her that after so many years, she dreaded the thought of him not being in the bedroom with her.

Night after night as he grew weaker and weaker, Natalie often fell asleep on a recliner beside his bed so she could be near him.  He had lost a lot of weight.  His face lacked depth and his mental state deteriorated rapidly.  When he made a sudden move or his breathing turned too shallow, she made sure she was nearby.  Eventually, oxygen was delivered to the house to help him breathe. The apparatus included tubing with prongs that went into his nose called a nasal cannula. Finally, they had to
consider the options and cried together as they talked about Michael possibly going into hospice care.  But Natalie chose to remain by his side.  Some days she took out their photo albums and showed him pictures of their happy life together.  Sometimes she put on one of their favorite old movies and they watched it together. Still other times, she played music, stroked his hair and simply held him hoping he would stay with her for just one more day.

The fateful day finally arrived and her father passed away.  The funeral was held on a stormy day,
which seemed appropriate as tears streamed from the faces of Natalie and Lisa as they stood at the burial ground. Lisa held onto her mother’s waist while the wind slapped mercilessly against them. As they made their way back to the car, it was hard for either of them to believe that he was really gone. 
He had been a good husband and father. Both knew they would miss him dearly. 
      
Lisa had never experienced death before and felt such a strong and painful tugging at her heart.  Her mother whispered under her breath that she did not know how she could possibly carry on without Michael.  Natalie’s face was pale and her eyes puffy from all the tears she shed those last few days.  She had always been a strong woman - the rock of the family.  When she dropped her mother at home, Lisa did not think twice about promising to visit in a couple of days to check up on her. Natalie gave her
daughter a kiss to show her appreciation and Lisa thanked God that she still had her mother.  All of her energy would then go toward her.

Lisa was not sure she was ready to face her peers at college yet.  However, she also knew it would be better to stay busy.  She wanted her mind preoccupied with her studies so that she would not have too much time to think about the loss of her father. She filled her days with school, homework, and of course, little thoughts of her dad creeping in from time to time.

It was the end of the following week before Lisa made her way back home.  She knocked on the door
and when no one answered, she slowly opened it and crept in.  She found Natalie sitting in the recliner in the darkness of the family room.  The shades were drawn with the only light emanating from a tiny nightlight.  Lisa silently drew close to her mother who was crying quietly.  She knelt by Natalie’s side and gently placed her hand on her lap – her heart breaking for her.  

“Are you all right, mom?” Lisa whispered. 

“Yes, dear,” Natalie mumbled attempting to wipe tears from her face before she looked up. A
small smile crept onto Natalie’s face as she opened her arms to invite Lisa to come nearer.  Lisa accepted and hugged her mother’s neck.  She could feel her frail body begin to shake as she tried to control her
tears.

“You miss daddy, don’t you?” Lisa blurted out without thinking.  
        
She did not mean to say what she had actually been thinking but try as she might, she could not keep the
wonderful memories of her father from filling her mind.  She could not even study without hearing his voice reminding her how important it was to get a good education or hearing him tell her how much he
loved his little girl.

“Yes, I do,” Natalie whimpered. 

“You found your knight in shining armor when you met dad, didn’t you?” Lisa asked.   

Natalie’s smile seemed to widen with that remark.

“Yes,” Natalie replied.

“I mean you really found love.  The kind that lasts forever, the kind everyone wants but so many couples never finds.”  
 
 Most of the parents of Lisa’s friends were divorced.  Many remarried and had blended families. Her friends often told her that she was in the minority because she had the same mother and father throughout her life.  That was something for which Lisa was very proud.  Her parents had discovered the secret of staying married and being happy - and she wanted the same thing one day. 

Natalie straightened up in her chair and her temples creased.  As she smiled, some wrinkles appeared. 

“What does love mean to you?” Natalie asked. 

“You know,” Lisa began.  “The man you love and marry would cherish you and only you forever.  He would never hurt you, hit you, lie to you or cheat on you. He would always want you by his side no matter what.”

Lisa was still on her knees by Natalie’s side as her mother took her hand and caressed her head. She
let her fingers comb through her long hair following it down to her shoulders. 

“I want the fairytale, mom.  Like Cinderella and Snow White.”  She glanced at her mother and smiled. 
“Like you had.”

 “Love is difficult, sweetie,” Natalie replied. “It’s a choice and it’s not always that special feeling or the need for security.  Oh yeah, it starts out that way but then life goes on and sometimes it does hurt.”  

Lisa glanced up at her mother strangely. “Have you heard the old sayings that love means never having to say you’re sorry?”  

Lisa shook her head in acknowledgement.

“Well that’s wrong. You do have to say you’re sorry. You must learn to compromise, and to forgive and forget.  Love takes understanding, a ton of courage and the unrelenting desire to stay
together even when you feel totally betrayed.”

Suddenly Lisa’s head began to reel and she could barely catch her breath.  

What is she trying to tell me, she wondered.

She could not recall ever seeing her parents fight.  Sure they had arguments and talked behind the closed door of their bedroom. Wasn’t that a natural thing to do?  She had so many questions but decided it was not the right time to ask them. 

“How do you remember your dad?” Natalie asked softly. 

Lisa’s memories of him were only happy ones.  He went to work, they had dinners together as a family, and they went to church and on vacations together.

“I remember when dad was the coach to my softball team, and helped me become the pitcher,” said Lisa. Natalie smiled and shook her head up and down.  

“I remember camping with dad and he tried to show me how to put up the tent, but then it fell on the both of us.”  Both girls chuckled.

When she was a cheerleader, her father came to the games to watch her.  She was in her last
year of high school when he became so ill. At the time, Natalie noted how important it was that her daughter went on with her life as usual.  She sometimes brought her dad to the games in a wheelchair so he could continue to be proud of his child and also to give him as normal a life as
possible.  When Lisa graduated high school and summer came to an end, Natalie insisted that she move to the college dorm so she could experience that life.  She told her not to worry about them but to live her life and make them proud.  

“I want you to keep those wonderful adventures stored in your heart,” Natalie said. Her hand began to shake and she removed it from Lisa’s head as she began to weep.  

“I miss your dad so much,” she moaned.  “I loved him with my whole heart and I don’t think anyone can understand how much it hurts that he’s no longer around.”  She grabbed a Kleenex and dabbed her swollen eyes. 
      
“We had something so special between us.  I don’t know the words to describe our love.”  Then out of nowhere she sternly added, “Love and marriage is a full-time job.  The hardest job you will ever have in your life.”  
 
Those words stuck in Lisa’s head as they continued to talk throughout the night. Lisa spoke of the great
times she had while growing up and recalled some of the adventures they went on as a family. When it was time for her to leave, her mother was still in the recliner and ready to fall asleep.  Natalie said she could not bring herself to go back into the bedroom.  She spent the last few weeks with Michael in the family room and that was where she could feel his presence.


Before leaving, Lisa promised to come back in a couple of days.  However, she became so busy with homework from her professors that she did not return for a week.  She found the house still dark and her
mother still in the recliner.  She looked as if she had not eaten or taken a shower since the last time she saw her.  Natalie’s face was drawn and pale.  As Lisa tiptoed into the room, she noticed that her mother’s eyes were closed.  She gently brushed her cheek with her fingers. Natalie took a deep breath before opening them and a faint smile crept on her face as she peered up at her daughter.

“Hi,” Natalie said as her lips pressed together. 

“Mom,” Lisa said in desperation, “can we go out tonight, maybe to a restaurant and a movie?” All
she could think of was doing something that would cheer her mother up.  Lisa had never seen her like that before.  Quite frankly, it frightened her.  Then Natalie reached out and touched Lisa’s arm.  
 
“No honey but we can visit here.  I don’t feel like going out.”  

Lisa shook her head and tried to think of something else that might help her mother.

“Have you eaten yet today?” she asked making her way to the kitchen. She took out a pot to heat up some soup.

“No,” her mother replied in a tiny voice. 

In minutes, Lisa returned to her mother with a tray containing a bowl of soup and half a ham sandwich. 
They shared polite conversation as Natalie insisted on hearing about her days at school. They then talked
more about Michael and how much they missed him.  Natalie’s eyes twinkled whenever she said his name out loud.  Finally, their tongues ran dry and Natalie seemed tired so Lisa decided it was time to
go.  While she put the dishes away, she noticed that her mother had eaten very little of her soup and had only taken a couple bites of her sandwich.  


“Will you be all right alone?” she asked more afraid than ever for her mother’s welfare.  “I can
stay here with you, mom.  It would be no trouble to go back and forth to school from here.” 

“No thank you, honey,” she said faintly. “I do appreciate your concern but I will be fine. You
have a life.  I had mine and now it’s your turn so go and enjoy it.”  Natalie shook her head and added, “Honestly, it’s okay. Go on now and I’ll see you again soon.” 

Lisa hesitated before planting a soft peck on her mother’s head with the promise to return in a couple of days. 

The week went by swiftly with papers due for professors and reading to be completed. By Friday,
Lisa made her way back home. This time she found her mother lying on the couch lifeless with a photo album on her chest and one on the floor. Lisa touched her hand but this time it was stone cold. 

“Mom!” she screamed but Natalie did not move.  

Lisa’s entire body began to shake uncontrollably.  Her mother had always been there for her but she had not been there for her mother. Although her mother had told her that sometimes bad things happen to
good people, feelings of guilt and shame immediately consumed her being.  She should have been there despite her mother’s protests and had only herself to blame.  How could she lose both of her parents in such a short period of time?  

Lisa later learned that her mother had lost the will to live since her father died and she just wanted to be with him again.  She died of a broken heart.