Page 46 of Second Chance At Love

“So what are you going to do?” questioned Henry.

“I think if Susan follows up with me, I will simply order them from a bakery and have them delivered. I’m not going to pretend I baked anything,” decided Cora. “If they don’t like it, they can kick me off the committee.”

Henry smiled. “Or you can ask me to create another emergency for you.”

“No. No more emergencies. I almost believed you were really hurt,” protested Cora with a smile. Her smile faded as she decided to change the conversation. “How did the talk with Nick go?”

Henry hesitated. “It was interesting.”

“I had a talk from Olliver,” revealed Cora. “I think it was supposed to mirror your talk with Nick but Oliver is only ten so it was far less in depth.”

“Nick really did need to discuss some important things. I think the thoughts have been building for a little while. It wasgood for him to talk,” mentioned Henry. “You should enjoy your supper, it’s getting cold.”

Cora took the plate of food, putting it in the microwave. “Did he ask you to keep the conversation confidential?”

“No. I think he knew we were likely to discuss it anyways,” replied Henry as he took a seat at the table. “We talked about Nate. We discussed you and Oliver. Nick needed some reassurances from me regarding how you should be treated.”

“How I shouldbe treated?” questioned Cora as she took out the plate of steaming food. She had a seat beside Henry. “What did he mean by that?”

“Nick is just trying to protect you,” softly said Henry, his eyes a little sad. “He’s working through some things.”

“Things Nate did that they witnessed,” guessed Cora. She pushed away the plate of food, suddenly not hungry. “Or how he treated our sons?”

“Yes. A little of both, I think,” admitted Henry.

“This is my fault. I should have left him sooner,” whispered Cora.

“It’s Nate’s fault. Not yours, not Nick’s, not Oliver’s. It is Nate’s fault,” repeated Henry. “It was Nate’s actions that caused this. You are not to blame.”

Cora shook her head, biting her lip to try to stop any tears from falling.

“Hey, I just had this conversation with Nick. I had to explain to him that it wasn’t his fault. You wouldn’t blame him for what happened, would you? Then you can’t blame yourself,” Henry told her.

“I’m theadult. I should have left.” She wiped the tears from her face, sniffing.

“You told me you were leaving the day Nate died. You were leaving, Cora. You were doing the right thing,” Henry solemnly said, carefully touching her shoulder. “You should talk to Nickabout this. He and Oliver need to know that you intended to leave with them.”

Cora nodded. She dragged in a deep breath. “Oliver told me it was okay if I dated you. I think this all stems from something they overheard Susan Hythe say at the school. She was a bit crass.”

“So that’s what triggered it. I wondered,” mused Henry. “Nick said something along the same lines along with warnings for me not to mess it up.”

“What did you tell him?” quietly asked Cora. She looked down at her unappetizing plate, deciding she would put it in the fridge. She really didn’t want it.

“I told him his mother probably wasn’t ready to date yet. I also said I had an important surgery to get through. Nick seemed to accept that,” gently replied Henry.

Cora nodded.

It gave her the perfect out. She wasn’t ready. Yet Cora almost wished she was.

“Why don’t we go watch Tex get some revenge against the guy who put him in a coma?” suggested Henry, changing the subject to Cora’s favorite soap. “I think it’s Allan.”

Cora had a watery laugh. “Really? Allan, who is eighty if a day?”

“Hey, he has henchmen to do his bidding. It could be him,” smiled Henry.

“I think it's Tommy and his buddies from the bar,” guessed Cora.

“Only one way to find out,” replied Henry as he stood up. “Race you to the television.”