Free With Love; Now & Forever by Raeanne Hadley Page A

and Jennifer immediately, becoming close couple friends.”
    Ana was taken aback when she felt a slight pang of jealousy go through her as she listened to Rick talk about his friendship with Austin and Jennifer.
    “Eight weeks after we were married, we were sitting in the doctor’s office waiting to hear the results of tests that were taken due to Sonya’s migraines.” Rick paused and shook his head, “I still think this story is straight out of a soap opera or something. Anyway, sitting in that doctor’s office, we were told Sonia had an aggressive brain cancer, it was too far along to stop it, all we could do was make her comfortable. Four weeks later, I was burying my second wife, a widower once more.”
    Ana once again found herself in tears. She was amazed at the strength and character Rick had, and bewildered he wasn’t holed up in some shack in the middle of nowhere which is what she would have done. Unsure of what to say, Ana remained speechless.
    “I’m sure you are saying to yourself one of two things. Either you’re wondering how I’m still functioning and contributing as a part of society or you have a lot of pity for me because obviously I’m dimwitted and don’t know any better.” Rick gave Ana a small sad smile.
    She smiled sheepishly back at him, wondering if one of his “voices” told him of her thoughts. “The first one, actually, I’m very astonished. I know the pain of losing Austin was tremendous and I can’t imagine opening myself up to that kind of pain again.”
    “But don’t you see that because you’ve closed yourself off from any possible pain you’ve also closed yourself off from the greatest joys too, true happiness?”
    “I’ve been happy!” she interjected, surprising herself with the defensiveness in her own voice. “I’m a self-made, successful businesswoman, who has earned respect from some of the most powerful people in the world.” she finished quietly.
    “Ah, success. Success can be described as many different things. A successful career, money, cars, all the material things one has ever desired in the world. What about the grandmother who has raised healthy happy children who have gone on to raise their own happy healthy children who are now playing at her feet? Or the strong soul who has battled a life threatening disease and won? A child who has been abused their whole life but defied the odds and turned their life around to be a better person, despite the abuse they have endured? Would you dare deny calling them successful?”
    “No, but that’s different!”
“No it’s not. Let me try a different perspective. When you go home at night, do you feel full, blessed to the point that you are often filled with tears of gratitude? Do you go to bed every night thanking God, or the Universe or whoever you believe in, for the wonderful gifts and wonderful life you have been given?”
“No.” Ana whispered as the answers to the questions he was asking stabbed through her heart, the pain leaving her breathless.
Rick softened his tone, “I’m sorry that I have caused you distress tonight, that was not my intention. I would ask you though, to be a part of the meeting tomorrow night with Jennifer and I. I know you don’t believe in what I do but I feel that Jennifer is really starting to like you and heaven knows she doesn’t have many true friends. It would mean a lot to her.” Rick gently squeezed her hand, “and to me.”
Feeling exhausted and overwhelmed by the perspectives that Rick brought to light, she nodded.
“It’s getting late and we both need the rest. I’ll leave you now and retire to my own room. Goodnight Ana, I truly enjoyed talking with you.”
Rick gently rose and before Ana could say anymore, was gone from the room. She sat there, unable to move. Was she cheating herself? What if the topics Rick spoke of were true? Was there another soul mate out there for her? And if that is the case, by closing herself off from love is she also