Chapter 35: Conflicting Emotions

As Olivia sat cross-legged on her bed in the studio flat, the sketching landmines around her created flickering shadows. Her fingers joined in, tracing lines over the top of her newest drawing: Mark, laughing, playing with in the park. Her lips pulled up at one side, involuntarily, into a true smile, only to drop quickly into a frown as guilt washed over her. Her eyes strayed to the nightstand, though, where she had deliberately set the small, framed photograph of Nathan and her facedown. It was one task she had not felt strong enough to accomplish but, at the same time, made her hurt even worse each time her eyes fell on it. It was a constant reminder of what she had lost—and of what she was afraid she was losing. Olivia sighed in irritation, picked up her sketches, and crammed them into the open drawer. She needed to talk with someone to sort out the jumble of emotions swirling inside her. Before she could change her mind, she reached for the telephone and dialed Sophia's number.