Complicated Love Pt. 06

It was a rift that wasn't unnoticed by everyone else in the house. Cassie and Chris tried to remain civil in front of James, but they barely managed. Every time Chris asked her why she was doing this, his angry eyes boring into her own, Cassie wanted to burst into tears. But she didn't allow herself to do that.

All that pent up emotion came out as anger, and things just seemed to get worse.

Cassie decided that the dough had suffered enough and quickly made her pie and stuck it in the over. She was depressed. This was the first time that this was happening to her and she didn't know what to do. She was too proud to run to Ann for help and Chris wasn't helping her any.

Just at that moment, Chris walked into the kitchen, saw her, and walked right out. Cassie almost screamed in frustration. It was all so...childish. Both of them were being childish, hiding their hurt emotions behind that childish facade and she had no idea how to break out of that cycle.

She set the timer and went outside, the sunshine soothing her a bit. She saw James sitting in the shade of an oak tree, Nurse with him. She walked over there, a genuine smile growing on her face. She loved him, she really did. In a few short weeks, he had taken over the role of the father she had never had, and she warmed to him like nothing else. She had warmed to the entire family actually, and it began feeling like her own.

She smiled at him when he turned and saw her, and patted the grass beside him. She sank down gracefully and leaned against the bark of the tree.

They sat like that for a long time, silent, yet comfortable. Nurse had gone a while back, confident that she could have her break because she knew that Cassie would look after James.

"Things aren't going well," James said, his gruff voice quiet and gentle.

Cassie nodded, trying not to let the tears flow. She leaned against him, lightly so as to not inconvenience him, and sighed.

"We had a fight," she admitted.

"May I ask what it was about," James asked gently. Cassie shook her head. She could not tell James that. If anyone could tell him, it was only Chris and she couldn't take that right away from him. She didn't want James to disapprove of Chris, not for even a moment.

"Well, I knew you wouldn't tell me," James said, gently smiling. "But Cassie, you need to know this. We all make mistakes, Chris makes more than his share. Fighting over something that could hurt you both is not the answer. The answer is to understand and forgive."

Cassie sniffed quietly, the wisdom of those words sinking in. She gently hugged James and helped him get up, so she could take him back to his room. Once she had seen that he was safely in bed and Nurse was there to watch over him, she went in search of Chris. She needed to apologize now, and speak to Chris. She just hoped that he loved her, just a bit, enough for him to listen. And hopefully forgive her.