Then There Was You Read Online Free PDF

available. I just want you to know you can trust me.” While I talked, I hoped the sincerity in my voice helped him believe me. “The things you tell me are confidential—it’s the law. But I also need you to realize that I would never break your trust and repeat anything to anyone unless you gave me a reason to fear for your life or someone else’s. Do you understand, Chris?”
    “Yes, ma’am,” he said with a nod, but seemed unconvinced. Glancing at me again, he deadpanned, “I guess I’ll see you Wednesday, then.” Turning on his heel, he stepped out of my office directly into the custody of the awaiting guard, practically slamming the door behind him.
    The sharp sound of the closing door from his eager escape was a small wound on my heart. As a counselor, I couldn’t help the fact that I was so in tune with my feelings. I had a tendency to wear my heart on my sleeve, even though I was trained in school not to show my emotions because exposing your feelings tore down the professional barriers. I needed these kids to like me enough to open up to me and trust me enough so I could help them. I wanted to make a difference in their lives, but in order for me to do that I had to scale those walls they’d built around their hearts. It was a difficult task, but I was always up for a challenge.
    Chris glanced at me one last time as the guard escorted him past the window of my office door. It wasn’t a cold look of hatred. It wasn’t a look of insolence. It was a look that translated to a plea of ‘help me.’
    This silent plea hit me like a ton of bricks. “I will, Chris,” I mumbled under my breath as I sorted through his records another time. “You just have to let me.”

Mrs. Betty answered the door with a big smile accented by crinkled laugh lines around her eyes. She wore a bright blue smock with white piping. The shoulders of the smock were streaked with spit-up stains, but she didn’t seem to care. “Your sweet girl was perfect all day. She slept, ate, and played like a champ. You don’t have to worry one minute about her while you’re at work. She’s such a pleasure to keep. It’s almost time to feed her again, but I tried to hold her off because I figured you might want the snuggle time when you get home. I always loved feeding my babies their bottles.”
    I smiled at Alexis who was as happy as a lark in her car seat, batting at the toys that were strapped to the handle of her carrier. My sweet angel. “Thank you, Mrs. Betty. I’m so happy to hear that. We’ll see you tomorrow.” I waved at her and stepped out the door. The bright sunlight caused Alexis to squeeze her eyes shut, and then the whimpers started, followed by full-blown wails.
    And they didn’t stop—
    all
    the
    way
    home.
    “Alexis, honey, it’s okay,” I consoled her from the front seat. Dammit. I knew the car seat laws were there for our babies’ safety, but backseat and rear-facing sure did make it difficult to comfort her.
    The never-ending crying pierced my eardrums and shot my blood pressure through the roof. I swerved into the driveway and unhooked Alexis’s car seat from its base. I gently placed her car seat on the kitchen floor and swiftly made her bottle. Maneuvering her out of the straps and cradling her in my arms, I quickly began feeding her. Alexis gulped the milk and adoringly looked at me with those this-is-the-best-thing-I’ve-ever-tasted-thank-you-so-much-mommy eyes.
    “Sweet girl, you can’t do this to me every day. Mommy’s nerves can’t take it. I’m gonna have to make sure Mrs. Betty feeds you before I get there to pick you up.” I sat with her on the sofa and cuddled her until my husband, Graham, got home from work.
    “What’s for supper?” he asked as he took his shoes off at the door and plopped his laptop bag on the recliner. Running a hand through his stark, blond hair, he groaned, “I’m starving.”
    “Really?” I cut my eyes at him, glaring into his gray-blue eyes. “It was my