“Thanks,” Dee Dee said. “Ah ha, here it is.”
“Here what is?”
“The information about the author coming on Wednesday. His name is Alex Winter. His book is called, Moving Past the Hurt. Hmm, can you open up one of those boxes and see if you can pull out a copy?”
Sofie grabbed the keys off Dee Dee’s desk and sliced open the packing tape. She pulled out a book and flipped to the back cover.
“Take a look at him. Not bad,” she said, handing the book to Dee Dee.
Dee Dee looked at the picture and read his bio.
“Alex Winter is a widowed father. He left his flourishing practice as a corporate lawyer when his wife succumbed to cancer shortly after the birth of their child. He now devotes his time to raising his son while running a profitable consulting service. He lives just outside of San Antonio, Texas, in the small town of Boerne.”
“What a story. Apparently, there are still some good ones out there, and this one happens to live nearby. Interesting,” Sofie said, raising her eyebrows.
Dee Dee took in the photo of Alex again. His face was blank with no trace of a smile. He wore a comfortable looking casual sweater. His brown hair curled slightly as it brushed against the top of his collar. She couldn’t make out whether his eyes were a light blue or green, but what she did see, was the sadness of past events reflected back at her. The pain gave them a depth she recognized. She had seen it in her own mirror many times. Absently, she stroked the side of his face with her thumb.
Shaking the memories from her head, she looked up at Sofie.
“Uh oh, what just happened?”
“Nothing. Why?” Dee Dee said, putting the book on her desk.
“It looked as if you were about to climb into that picture with him. Are you okay?”
“Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You tell me. Seems as if Mr. Winter has a fan.”
Avoiding eye contact, Dee Dee got up from her chair and came around the desk to start opening more boxes. Sofie took it as her clue to leave. Just before disappearing around the corner, she caught Dee Dee’s eye and winked. As her footsteps receded, Dee Dee picked up the book, opening it to look at the picture once more.
“I recognize that hurt, Alex Winter. More than you will ever know.”
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