Family Skeletons (28 page)

She squeezed her eyes closed. Never before had
anyone asked her that simple question. Throughout her life both the romantic
and emotional meaning of the word love had been elusive, and now he was asking
her if she
liked
him?

Sunny finally knew what each word meant. And, more
important, what each emotion felt like. And she was beginning to think that it
might be possible to be free. Free to learn how to live and how to love. Free
to have faith in herself. And free to have faith in a significant other person.

But she was scared. Oh, she was scared. So scared
and choked that she feared her throat wouldn’t work if—when—she tried to speak.
But she was going to do it. She had to do it. At long last, she sensed fissures
breaking through the armored shell of that damnable emotional prison she’d
lived in for such a long time.

She swallowed hard...and took the leap.

“Like you?” she echoed. As she’d feared, her voice
sounded weak and small, but she felt firm, firmer inside than ever before. Yet
she kept her eyes trained on his shirt buttons instead of lifting her gaze to
his. This was a big step, and she could only take one step at a time.

“Yes, I like you, Jonathan,” she whispered. Another deep
breath, and another hard swallow. “And I love you. Heart, body and soul.”

She was conscious of the tension draining out of
him. Gently he put his knuckles beneath her chin and tilted her head up until
she met his eyes.

“Good,” he said.

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by Bobbie O’Keefe

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