Seasons of Sorrow by C. C. Wood

slowly. What she truly wanted to do was scream her head off. It had been a long time since she had been this angry. In their years of marriage, she and Derek rarely fought, mostly because he acted as though nothing bothered him. When they had disagreed, she usually acquiesced because she hated for him to be angry with her.
    Now, she didn’t care. The ire within her burned off the numbness and exhaustion that typically plagued her since Adam’s death. When she opened her eyes, Brandy was standing next to her, watching her closely.
    “Are you okay?” Brandy asked.
    Charlotte nodded. “Did you talk to your colleague?”
    Her friend also nodded. “Yes. She’s expecting your call. She said you could pay what you could for now and then settle up the rest later.”
    That was surprising to Charlotte. “How did you accomplish that?”
    A satisfied smile crossed Brandy’s face. “Oh, Nora knows Derek. She’s met him a time or two and, I’m repeating her words here, thinks he’s an arrogant, narcissistic twat.”
    Charlotte shook her head, in awe of her ballsy best friend. Not for the first time, she wondered what her life would be like if she were more like Brandy; strong, independent, and gutsy. Instead she felt weak, insecure, and lost. She realized that she had been feeling lost for most of her life. It wasn’t until she found out she was pregnant with Adam that she felt that her life had true direction.
    For the first time in the last six weeks, Charlotte didn’t feel like crying. She felt like kicking her asinine husband in the face. She didn’t understand his detachment. Not just his disregard for her, but his indifference to the death of his son.
    Charlotte looked up at Brandy. “Since my husband doesn’t seem to feel emotional pain, then I want him to feel it where it will hurt him the most; his wallet.”
    Brandy’s expression grew sly and satisfied. “I couldn’t agree with you more. I’d also say it’s long past due.”
    After all the revelations Charlotte had in regards to her husband, she was inclined to agree. Derek was definitely not the man she’d always believed him to be. She was beginning to wonder if there was more she didn’t know about her husband. If there was, Charlotte decided she probably wouldn’t want to know what other secrets he’d kept from her all these years. The pain she endured now was enough suffering for one decade.

Part Two
    Spring
     
    No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn
    ~Hal Borland~

Chapter Six

    March, 2003
    “H urry up, Charlotte! You’re going to make us late,” Brandy complained.
    Charlotte stopped brushing mascara on her lashes to glance at her friend. “Brandy, seriously, I’m not sure about this. I’m awkward and I don’t want to make you and Greg uncomfortable on your date.”
    Her friend scoffed. “You spend too much time with your nose in a book, Charlie. You need to get out and socialize more. And don’t worry about being awkward. You know Greg and I love hanging out with you. Besides, we aren’t dating any more.”
    Charlotte wasn’t sure she believed it, but Brandy was insistent. “I’ve never been on a blind date before,” she said.
    Brandy waved a hand. “It’s not a date, Charlie. Derek didn’t have plans this weekend so he’s just tagging along.”
    It was Charlotte’s turn to scoff. Brandy and Greg spent a lot of time together, and she doubted it was because they were just friends. Plus Brandy talked about what a great kisser Greg was all the time. She was surprised they hadn’t slept together yet. Her roommate wasn’t promiscuous, but she also wasn’t a virgin. It was their junior year and Brandy had two serious boyfriends and a few not-so-serious boyfriends in the three years they had been at University of Texas.
    Brandy rolled her eyes. “Just finish getting ready, dammit. We’re definitely going to be late now.”
    Ten minutes later, she finally finished up. When she came out of her room, Charlotte saw Greg