Trust Me

law school this spring. Fourth in his class. Katy just got engaged to a heart surgeon. We’re thrilled. Excellent family. Brian and I are off to England tomorrow. We’ll be gone two months. Business and pleasure trip. Will call when we get back. In the meantime, please give my regards to your bride.
    Love, Mother
    Stark lifted several layers of tissue paper. A crystal punch bowl glittered inside the box. He was pretty sure he recognized it.
    “Sam? Sam, are you listening to me?”
    “I’m listening, Alison.” Stark transferred the punch bowl to another table.
    “I needed some space. I still do.”
    “Uh-huh.” Stark switched on his computer.
    “My therapist says that the stress I’m under has overwhelmed me and the boys sense it. It makes them feel insecure.”
    “Right.” Stark scanned his email messages. He paused when he saw a familiar name and address.
    [email protected]
    “It’s been very difficult for all of us,” Alison said defiantly.
    “Right.” Stark hadn’t heard from Sellinger in months. He wondered why the director of the Rosetta Institute had contacted him today. The email message was short and to the point.
    Please call. Urgent.
    “I appreciate your taking Jason and Kyle for a while. We all needed a break from each other.”
    “Right.”
    “At first the boys actually blamed me for the fact that Hudson walked out, you know. Their therapist says that’s normal, and I’ve tried to be understanding, but their attitude has definitely added to my overall stress level.”
    “Right.”
    “Dr. Titus, that’s the boys’ therapist, has worked with them very extensively. He’s tried to make them realize that the breakup of the marriage had nothing to do with them.”
    “Right.”
    “But they’ve been extremely uncooperative. Rude and sullen.”
    “Right.”
    “You’re sure they’re not a problem?”
    “I’m sure.” Stark hit a key to pull up his personal list of phone numbers that he kept stored in the computer.
    “In that case,” Alison said in a cautious tone, “the boys’ therapist has recommended that I take a vacation.”
    “With him?”
    There was a short, brittle silence. “Have the boys mentioned Dr. Titus to you?”
    “They said you’re having an affair with him.”
    “They know about my relationship with Cliff?” Alison asked in a strangled voice.
    “Yeah.” Stark found Sellinger’s number.
    “It’s okay, you know,” Alison said swiftly. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with my seeing Dr. Titus. He’s their therapist, not mine.”
    “Right.”
    “I have my own therapist, Dr. Lachlan, and he says that it’s good for me to have a relationship at this particular point in my life.”
    “Right.”
    “He says it’s just what I need to rebuild my shattered self-esteem.”
    “Sure.”
    “He says I have to get past the sense of guilt and the anger.”
    “Uh-huh. Look, Alison, this kind of psychobabble always confuses me. Kyle and Jason are fine. I’ve told you that they can stay with me for the rest of the summer. Go ahead and take your vacation with your therapist.”
    “Dr. Titus is not my therapist. I told you that. He’s the boys’ therapist. Dr. Lachlan is mine.”
    “Hell, take them both on vacation if you like. I don’t really give a damn.”
    “There’s no need to be sarcastic,” Alison said stiffly.
    “I’m not trying to be sarcastic, I’m trying to get off the phone so that I can get some work done.”
    “I’ll call the boys this evening and say goodbye.”
    Stark took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Do you want some advice?”
    “What advice?” she asked warily.
    “Don’t tell Jason and Kyle that you’re going off on vacation with their therapist.”
    “There is nothing wrong with my relationship with Dr. Titus,” Alison snapped.
    “I didn’t say there was. I just suggested that you don’t make a big deal out of it with Jason and Kyle. It’s hard enough for them to figure out who’s sleeping with whom at the moment.”
    “They have to face reality,” Alison said. “Damn it, I’m a mature adult. I refuse to pretend that I don’t have adult needs. Jason and Kyl e must understand that just because their father walked out, that doesn’t mean that I don’t have a right to a loving, caring relationship.”
    Stark wished he had kept his mouth shut. “Sure. Sorry I mentioned it.”
    “Their father is screwing his brains out with that bimbo assistant of his, you know.”
    “I know.