"Are you sure you're okay Preston?" I asked. His knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. He was driving a little more reckless than normal, but I tried to understand that he was just upset. "Pull over please." He glanced at me through the mirror and pulled into a park just a few blocks from Shawn's apartment. He turned the car off and looked back at me.
"Can we go for a walk?" I asked.
"You'll be late for dinner with Ms. Heard." He said.
"She'll understand."
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We walked around for awhile until we came across a small park bench. I looked at him and smiled, offering him a seat.
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He could barely look at me. The last thing I wanted him to think was that he'd done something wrong.
"I'm sorry for how I acted. I just, when I got the text to come get you, I panicked." He looked at at me. "I thought he'd try to hurt you again."
"Text?" I said confused. I didn't recall sending any text messages.
"Yes ma'am. Gil called me saying that he'd gotten a message from Rebbie and that I needed to get back to the restaurant ASAP." He looked out towards the play ground where kids were laughing and running around. "I assumed the worst going into that and I'm sorry."
"Its okay Preston. I'm not upset with you at all. Can you believe that my sisters are trying to convince me to work through this with him." She brushed hair from her face. "They kept comparing this to my mother and father. I really try my best not to question their relationship. There is no doubt in my mind that they love each other. But I don't know that love is what kept her with Joseph. In fact I doubt that it has been enough all these years." I paused and thought about my next words. "Mother made a choice and stuck with it. I don't want that." I looked at him. " Do you think he can really change Preston?"
He gazed off into the distance, biting his lip as if he wanted to say something. He thought carefully not saying a word until he was ready. "I did." He said finally.
Just then I realized, he'd never talked about his personal life with me. I mean sure I knew his daughter and wife. I had met them on many occasions but never any thing beyond that.
