SNEAK PEEK OF THE MIDDLE AISLE:
Andre was a figment of her imagination. A
fabrication of a desperate dumped woman—a fantasy, an illusion. Her creation of
the perfect man.
She really was crazy. She just hadn’t
realized it. She was a raving lunatic, walking around Monterey, California,
acting as though she was with the man of her dreams, thinking she was making
love with him and kissing him. When really she was as alone as a man in
solitary confinement—a lost hopeless soul. Pathetic.
It was no use, she couldn’t fool herself
any longer. Now that the seed of doubt had taken hold, she had to recognize it
and grab onto it. It was the only way back to sanity.
“The realization of our delusions is the
hardest step, Zoe. I know this is difficult. I can help you through it, I’m
here for you. You’re not alone,” Doctor Channing said with so much sympathy, it
made her cry even more.
“I don’t understand, he seems so real,”
Zoe blurted.
“The mind is an amazing thing. It has the
ability to believe what it wants to believe. If it couldn’t function in this
manner, I’d be out of business.”
Zoe looked up at Doctor Channing, for once
thankful for his presence. He hadn’t given up on her even though she’d been
pretty awful to him. “I’m sorry I almost hit you with the garden trowel.”
“I’ve already forgotten about it.”
Zoe knew she must be a sight. She hadn’t
showered in two days, she was wearing rumpled pajamas, and her hair was all
over the place. Plus, her face must be red and swollen from crying. To top it
all off, she probably smelled like throw up too.
“I think I’ll take a hot shower and
freshen up,” she told him.
“I’ll get you some breakfast.”
Before they parted, she said, “Doctor
Channing?”
“Yes, Zoe?”
“Thank you.”
He nodded and left. As she stripped off
her clothing, a few more tears drizzled down her cheeks. The loss of Andre from
her life wasn’t going to be easy. He was everything to her and now that she
knew he wasn’t real, she didn’t know how to start over . . .
IS ANDRE REAL OR NOT?
TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! (OR HOPE!)
