Chapter 33: Opening Up

The long shadows from the late afternoon sun stretched the stretch of the park bench arms that rested Olivia and Mark, shoulders touching silently. A soft action of air brought from far away the laughter of children and the sweet fragrance of flowering flowers. It was the third time they met since that very first date over a cup of coffee, and Olivia felt the weight of the unspoken truth upon her chest. Mark's warm voice, tinged with concern, broke her reverie. "Penny, what are your thoughts? You seem a million miles away." Olivia turned to face him, meeting the freely offered smile with kind eyes—the soft, quasi-permanent smile of his that she was learning to recognize in such a short space of time. She took a deep breath, as if to brace herself for something. "Mark," she began in a hushed tone, "mark. I need to tell you something important." His face grew serious, but his eyes somehow remained soft. "I'm listening, Liv. Whatever it is, you can tell me." Olivia closed her eyes fo