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think that?”
    “One of my female coworkers came by my house
while I was at work to drop off some papers for me and Shayla
assumed she was someone I was seeing. Being completely honest, I
actually wanted Shayla to think I was with the woman.”
    “Why?”
    “So she wouldn’t fall in love with me. I
know that sounds ludicrous and juvenile, but that’s what
happened.”
    “If you love Shayla, Mr. Williams, why
wouldn’t you want her to fall in love with you?”
    “Because I can’t do that to my brother,”
Carter said in anguish, his face turning red. “I loved my brother.
We just…we couldn’t work things out.”
    Dr. Westbrook uncrossed her legs and shook
her head. “So let me get this straight…you can’t be with Shayla
because she and your brother, Jacob, had a relationship when he was
alive.”
    Carter nodded, fiddling with his thumbs. “It
was more than just a relationship. They were engaged to be
married. She was in love with him.”
    “And now she’s in love with you. So here’s
the question of the hour…what gives you the right to break her
heart because you feel guilty?”
    Silence.
    “Mr. Williams, this is a serious matter, but
the resolution is quite simple. Tell her about Jacob. I told you to
do that months ago, and if you done it back then, you wouldn’t be
here today.”
    “I can’t tell her,” Carter said feeling his
stomach tighten. “I told you that months ago.”
    “Well, you have to. There’s no other
way.”
    “I can’t,” Carter maintained.
    The doctor frowned slightly. “Give me one
good reason why you can’t tell her. And I want you to really think
about this before you answer, because from my previous interactions
with you, Mr. Williams, I know you are a professional man, very
well-spoken, considerate and respectful. I saw the way you and
Shayla interacted in my office that day and I knew right away that
you cared for her. So tell me why it is that you can’t talk to
Shayla about Jacob?”
    Carter sighed heavily. “If I tell her, not
only would she think I’m a liar, untrustworthy and disloyal. She
would know that everything she went through on the streets – the
harsh weather, being robbed, beaten, begging for money and food –
all those hardships she faced after Jacob’s death was my
fault.”
    “Why would that be your fault?”
    “Because of this.” Carter stood, took his
wallet from his back pocket and handed Dr. Westbrook Jacob’s
suicide note.
    Dr. Westbrook took it, asked Carter what it
was before she unfolded it and was shocked when he told her that it
was from Jacob. She read through it quickly, paying particular
interest to Jacob’s request at the end of the note:
    I know you’re under no
obligation to do this, but this is my last and final wish. I’ve
never asked you for anything, even in my most dire straights, but
this I ask of you because I want Shayla to be happy. I want her to
have the kind of life that you can give
her
.
Please tell her I’m sorry I left this way. Tell her it’s for
the best and that in some way, I’m doing this for her. Take care of
her for me. She’s innocent in all of this and I want to make sure
that she’s taken care of. I love her, Carter. Make sure she knows
that.
Make her happy. In the end, I’m
sorry it had to be this way.
    When the doctor looked up at him, he said,
“I failed. I didn’t take care of her. I didn’t look for her like I
should have. So like I said, everything she went through is my
fault and when she reads this note, she’ll know that. But you know
what…it’s all a moot point anyway, especially since she’s
relocating to Virginia at the end of the month.”
    “She has family there?” she asked, handing
him the note back.
    “No,” Carter said growing irritated with all
her questions now. “She got a job and decided to move to get away
from me. She didn’t say that outright, but I know that’s why she’s
leaving.”
    Dr. Westbrook thought for a moment. She was
worried about Shayla