The Relationship Coach Read Free Page B

her ring finger.
    Lacey sat there starring at the diamond, her lungs no longer seeking air, her blood no longer flowing, her body no longer feeling.
    Their mother squealed in excitement, while Lacey resisted the urge to plug her ears with her fingers as her body shuddered, her eyes blinded by the sparkling gem.
    “My baby girl is getting married,” Brenda gushed.
    Their mother leaped to her feet, threw her arms around Kerri and yanked her sister close. Shock held Lacey prisoner, keeping her butt super glued to the chair.
    Lacey sat like a rock in a disconnected haze, her chest tighter than if she were held in a wrestler’s grip. After a moment only the murmur of voices and the clink of dishes and muted voices echoed around them as her mother and sister turned and sent her scathing glances.
    “Lacey?” her mother asked. “Aren’t you happy for your sister?”
    In two weeks, her sister would graduate from college, but the required dedication to medical school dictated Kerri was too young to rush into an institution they had sworn they would never get divorced from.
    “Of course, I am. I’m just stunned. You were going to wait until you were out of medical school,” she said trying to snap out of this daze that held her in its grip.
    As children, they’d made a blood oath they would not live the life of their mother and have multiple marriages. Together, they had suffered the agonies of one step-father after another, step-brothers and sisters, people who were families one moment and enemies the next. They’d made a solemn oath to marry only once.
    Kerri blushed, and her blue eyes danced with happiness. “We don’t want to wait. I’m still going to medical school, but I can’t imagine my life without Matt. He’s perfect for me and he makes me very happy.”
    “How long have you guys dated? You just started mentioning him to me,” Lacey said. Worry settled in her stomach like a stone plunging to the bottom of the pond.
    Kerri smiled and patted her sister on the hand. “Four months. Long enough for me to know we belong together.”
    Her mother nodded, silently siding with Kerri. “Yes, I’ve always known with each of my husband’s that he was perfect for me.”
    Lacey spewed the water she’d just sipped from her glass onto the table. Picking up her napkin she quickly wiped the water away. “If they were so perfect, why did three of your marriages end in divorce?”
    Her mother’s face glowered with disapproval. “They were perfect at the time. I can’t help it if two cheated and one loved the bottle more than me. My poor Billy and Sam died. When you find true love, it’s obvious. You might look a little harder for the emotion.”
    Lacey’s whole body tensed, and she reminded her mother of an important fact. “I have a boyfriend.”
    “Yes, I know. You’ve had him now for a year, and that’s the problem. I see a boy friend, not a lover. There are no sparks flying between you, and I don’t see a ring on your left hand.”
    “That’s not fair!” Lacey said, her voice rising above the clink of dishes.
    Kerri drew the conversation back to her. “Excuse me. This is my engagement announcement.”
    “I’m sorry, Kerri,” Lacey said. “I just wasn’t expecting you to reveal you were engaged today.”
    Her sister pleaded, “Try to act a little more excited.”
    “Do you remember that blood oath we promised as kids?” Lacey gazed at her sister, willing her to remember the challenges of their youth. The reasons why they’d sworn to marry only once.
    “Yes,” her sister said, not looking at their mother.
    “What oath?” Brenda demanded.
    They ignored her.
    “Do you love him enough to spend the rest of your life with just him?” Lacey asked, needing to hear her sister say the words.
    “Yes, I believe I do. Lacey, he takes care of me. He’s thoughtful and kind. He’s everything I’ve wanted in a man and because of him, I strive to be a better person.”
    A heartfelt sigh escaped Lacey and