Unresolved Issues by Wanda B. Campbell

wonders for Staci’s stiff muscles but didn’t touch her broken heart.
    â€œGod, what did I do wrong? Why did he leave? I did everything I was taught to do. The only thing I didn’t do was carry his seed. Maybe that’s the problem. Did he leave me because I didn’t get pregnant? That must be it, because I haven’t gained weight or let myself go.”
    The unanswered questions hung in the air as Staci tried to rationalize why her husband had walked out on her.
    â€œGod, I know you forgave me for fornicating and for having an abortion. So why I am going through this?”
    â€œBecause you didn’t listen to wise counsel ,” a still voice whispered back.
    Staci’s mind immediately went back to the conversation she’d had with her mother a month before her wedding.
    â€œStaci, I’m not saying Derrick isn’t the one God has for you. All I’m saying is wait until the time is right. Let him work through his insecurities first.”
    â€œMama, I love Derrick, and he loves me. That’s enough to handle every problem we may have.”
    Alaina tried a different approach. “Staci, I know you’re afraid of losing him again, but you can’t rush into marrying him. Don’t overlook his problems. Allow him time to work through them. If you don’t, you’re going to add to the trials you’re already going to have.”
    â€œI hear what you’re saying, Mama, but I know what I’m doing.”
    â€œNo, you don’t. You don’t really understand how deep not having a father has affected him. I see it every time he’s around your father and brothers. He works extra hard to be accepted by them when he doesn’t have to.”
    There was some validity to her mother’s words, but Staci didn’t want to wait. She was afraid of losing him again.
    â€œMama, I can help him face his issues. I can—”
    Alaina’s voice, filled with frustration, cut her off. “Stacelyn, you can’t help Derrick face anything he’s not willing to face on his own.”
    In hindsight, Staci wished her mother had locked her in the basement to keep her from marrying Derrick. If she had, she wouldn’t be going through this heartache now. Staci recognized early in their relationship that Derrick was insecure. He didn’t express his feelings for her until after Staci expressed hers. Then periodically, Derrick would ask her if she was sure she really loved him. Then he would ask why she loved him. If he brought her a gift, he would ask her repeatedly if she liked it. And after they agreed to commit fornication, she had to constantly reassure him she enjoyed being intimate with him. Then when she had the abortion, he told her he felt like she had rejected him.
    That was then. Since marrying him, Staci did everything a good wife was expected to do. At times when he didn’t meet her expectations, she still catered to him. When she knew the only reason he desired to make love to her was to impregnate her, she submitted to his demands without mumbling a word. No matter how inconsiderate he was in bed, she never used a headache as an excuse.
    Staci closed her eyes and squeezed the sponge on her face just as Alaina knocked on the bathroom door.
    â€œCan I come in?” Alaina asked.
    â€œSure. I was just about to get out.”
    Alaina handed Staci a towel after entering the bathroom. As Staci dried herself, Alaina picked up her dirty clothes. She made an attempt to lighten the mood. “You’re almost thirty years old, and I’m still picking up your clothes.”
    â€œI don’t know why you’re complaining. You know you love looking after your only daughter.” Staci smiled slightly. She figured her mother had really come in there to make sure she didn’t drown herself. “I know I looked and felt a mess when Daddy brought me inside. I feel a little better now, but I have a long way to