Learning to Move Forward: Novella #3.5 Read Online Free PDF Page B

something about myself and I need to find out more. I want to be the best wife and subbie ever!” I leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
    “I’ll try to be quick. I have Tommy coming in to cover for Ralph’s position. As soon as he arrives, I’ll be back here.” His hand squeezed mine, making me feel a bit better.
    “Okay.”
    We said “I love you” to one another and parted company. His chef at the restaurant had an emergency and called in at the last minute, causing Jonathan to have to go in until his other chef could get there. It was going to be the dinner time rush soon, so he was needed.
    I’d had a hard time with my journal. I realized that “perfection” and “idealism” were a major hang-up factor for me. Jocelyn agreed.
    “This is not uncommon, Grace. You were an only child to a lawyer and a principal. They wanted only the best for you and for you to be the best at what you do in life. Being an only child is tough, sometimes worse than having multiple siblings. There are support groups for people who believe they’re failing to live up to their family’s expectations.”
    I was shocked. “Do you think I need to go to one?”
    Jocelyn leaned over and patted my shoulder. “No, dear. You’ve already achieved the goal that a support group would help unearth. You’ve realized your hang-up with the need to be perfect and are trying to deal with it.”
    I breathed a huge sigh of relief. “I was surprised at how much freedom I felt writing the thoughts of my past. I almost skipped on to the next phase of my life when the accident occurred, but didn’t want to get ahead of myself.”
    She smiled and just shook her head. “Grace, you have no limit to what you can write. I merely made a suggestion to start there and proceed forward. If you feel compelled to write more, by all means do it! That just means you’re ready to address other issues you have.”
    A question kept forming in my mind. “Do you think Jonathan and I should postpone our wedding so I can deal with my problems first?”
    She didn’t respond immediately, which concerned me. “Outside of Garrett and Laurel, I’ve never witnessed two people who tend to complement one another so well. You appear to share similar likes and interests, but you also seem to provide each other with what’s missing in your lives.”
    I know I must have looked confused, because she quickly moved to sit beside me on the couch and gave me a motherly hug. “I’ll put this as simple as possible: go ahead with the wedding. No one ever entered marriage on a perfect note without any issues to deal with. That’s what matrimony is about, growing together, learning as a couple, and finding solutions to your problems together.”
    “Really? You think we’re strong enough to move forward?”
    She nodded. “I do. The only thing that will need some work is how you cope with things. You have a tendency to push people away, like you’re trying to do with Jonathan. All you need to do is remember that you’re a team where “We” comes before “I” and adjust your method of dealing with things to include him.”
    Jocelyn patted my hand. “He adores you, Grace. Just let him in so he can help you mend whatever’s broken and remember that perfection doesn’t exist in the real world. We can all strive for it, but it’s okay to have some flaws; even the most beautiful diamonds aren’t without their imperfections. I think it adds character.”
    I took a deep breath, realizing her words were truth. Garrett and Laurel’s lives were perfect examples of how flawed things could be, but how much beauty could come out of it. They had to fight hard to be a couple and have a family. Now they look like the perfect family, but they’re still trying to overcome the nightmares that the Petersons put them through.
    I closed my eyes, drew in a large breath, and let the frustration of living with perfection float away from me. “I’ll give it a try.”
    “That’s