Free Broken by Alina Man Page A

maybe the same rule doesn’t apply to me.  He watches me, I can tell, and since I don’t say anything he decides to press on. 
    “Not that long before the accident we were watching television one evening.  There was a documentary about a woman who was in a coma.  There were tubes all over and Becky started crying.  I wanted to change the station but she stopped me.  We ended up watching the entire thing and it was because of that program that we started talking about what ifs . Jenny, life is not this perfect path and we can’t expect things to last forever.  As long as we remember what we had, that’s all we can do, and move on.”
    “Yeah, maybe.” I take a deep breath and push the cup of coffee aside.  Maybe I was just a crazy person, just like the file said, and crazy people like me were not allowed to move on.  Who knows? “So this drawing of me-”
    “Like I said, I can explain.  Ok, maybe I can’t.  I don’t know.  I just love your face?  Is that a good enough explanation?”
    “Hmm, I’m not sure.”  We’re both quiet as I study the drawing closely.  It’s uncanny looking at myself, a frozen face, with eyes filled with pain.
    “Jenny, what happened to you?”  His voice is low and calm.
    “What makes you think something happened to me?”
    “You can tell me, you know.”  I take a few short breaths, praying they’ll give me the strength to tell him what he wants to know. 
    “I was six months pregnant with a baby girl,” I say at last.  It’s more than I ever said, even to Dr. Collins, and I know David is breaking down my security walls, one brick at a time.  I’m not really sure how I feel about that, but I find myself wanting to tell him at least a few small pieces of what’s been hurting me.  He doesn’t look surprised at all at my confession.  “Why do I have this weird feeling that you already knew that?”
    “Don’t be mad, but Kate kind of told me that.” Thank you Mom, you little snitch .
    “I’m not mad.” A m I? “I know she’s worried about me.”
    “Do you want to talk about it?”
    “Not really,” I smile sweetly and pray that he won’t press me any further.  If he only knew that just being here in his house, having a normal conversation is more than I’ve done in the last five years.  It’s a freaking breakthrough, if you ask me.
    “Ok.  We can talk about something else then.”  Why does he have to be so amazingly nice? Everything about him is calming and inviting.  He’s just … well, nice.  “Let’s go in the living room that way I can make sure Lily doesn’t set the house on fire.  Although she’s probably busy watching Sesame Street. Want me to bring your coffee?”  I shake my head and he offers me his hand.  I look at it as if it’s some alien object, but in the end , I let my fingers touch his and let him pull me away into the hallway.  There’s electricity shooting through my fingertips, sending a warm feeling all the way down to my very bones. 
    The living room is large and very scarcely furnished.  One wall is covered by a tall entertainment unit with bookshelves on either side of the big screen TV. Two soft brown sofas are placed in an L-shape with a wooden coffee table in the middle.  The big shaggy rug under it completes the room nicely giving it a welcoming look.  The wall behind one of the sofas is covered with family pictures, snapshots of Lily as a newborn, and in many of them , she’s in the arms of a small, young woman.  The woman looks so happy and alive.  The love she has for her daughter shows in her smile and the way she looks at the little bundle she’s holding tightly to her chest. 
    Lily is sitting on the floor, surrounded by dolls and other toys, watching the television.  She is so involved in the large yellow bird that she doesn’t even acknowledge our presence.  David moves to one of the sofas and pats the cushion with his hand, his way of telling me to sit next to him. 
    I’m