give up princess and when I awoke I knew I had to be strong, I knew dad was talking to me”. Clarissa said tearing up. Crissy and Clarissa hugged each other again and started crying on each other shoulder. “Hey can I get in on the reunion”. Josh said with his arms open wide. Clarissa looked up from Crissy shoulder and saw Josh smiling at her. “Josh”. She said still clinging to Crissy. Crissy and Clarissa opened their arms to embrace Josh; Josh showered Clarissa with kisses on her cheek and gracefully kissed Crissy. “Rissa, I thought I had lost you”. Josh said as he started to cry. Crissy let go of their embrace to allow them time to reunite and she headed to the detective desk were Dan was seated and admiring everything. Rissa, I blame myself, if only I had just been open to you and gave things a chance about you and your faith but I had to learn the hard way but that hard way made me believe again Rissa, it may me call out to God and Rissa; he answered, he gave me back you”. Josh said as he hugged Clarissa tightly. Clarissa couldn’t believe what she was hearing, she waited so long for him to believe and now it actually happened. “Josh, I am so incredible ashamed, if it wasn’t for me being so closed minded and just slowing down and waiting for you to believe; we wouldn’t be in this mess. “Would you listen to you guys, all of you are blaming each other and not seeing the big picture”. Dan said standing up and speaking loudly across the room. “What are you saying”? Crissy said following him toward Clarissa and Josh. “Well look, first of all Josh you found out that your mother and sister are still alive”. “What! Your sister I thought you were an only child.” Clarissa said shocked. “It’s a long story but I will explain when things have calm down some”. Josh said holding Clarissa hand. “Next, your faith in God is now back which mean you and Clarissa can now start on a new life together again!” and lastly you can finally put an end to your past haunting you Josh; so you see everything has worked out!”. Dan said as he embraced all three of them. “I guess I didn’t see it that way, I’m just glad no one is hurt”. Josh said hugging Clarissa and high fiving Dan. “So is the wedding back on”. Crissy said. “I just want Rissa to know that if we can get through this horrible thing with prayer and faith, then nothing can stop us from believing God”. Josh said as he kissed Rissa. Clarissa was lost for words, here she was back in the arms of the man she truly loved; the man she always wanted and today after all that has happened, the risk and danger just proved to her that Josh was willing to risk it all, including his life. “I hate to break up this beautiful union, especially after the ordeal you guys just went through but we really need to get a statement from you guys before sending you home”. Detective Ingram said as he motioned for the group to have a seat in the office. “Detective Ingram I just want to thank you again for sticking your neck out for me, I had a lot of cops in my life going through the motions of my young childhood, trying to help but really only making things worse for me but you; your different you went above what I believe public servant would do; Thanks detective”. Josh said as he shook detective Ingram hand firmly. “Kid, it’s nothing short of a miracle this situation came out the way it did, you owe me nothing but the big guy upstairs well; that’s a different story. Let’s go Josh and get this day over with; what do you say”. Detective Ingram said as he patted Josh on his back and smiled.
The Healing Begins
Three months afterwards the healing has begun and now I can move forward in my life. I knew I wanted Rissa back in my life but I didn’t want to get her back this way but now that she is back our wedding plans can move forward and life can really begin but first I need to air the last little bit of my problems out to the doc. I never knew waiting for a shrink would make me feel so much better inside. “Mr. Stephens you can go in now”. The receptionist said. “Well, hello Joshua... I mean Josh I guess this will be our last session”. Dr. Nichols said as he gestured Josh to a chair. “Yes sir, I can honestly say I won’t miss you at all”. Josh said laughing. “Would you like some coffee or tea”? Dr. Nichols said as he pours himself a cup of coffee”. “No thanks I just want to get the show on the road”. Dr Nichols sat down across from Josh and sipped his coffee; he looked Josh directly in his eyes and smiled. “Josh do you know why you are here, I mean do you understand why detective Ingram had for you to come back and see me”. Josh really didn’t have time for word association games; his life was getting back on track and he didn’t need anymore drama. “Well I am assuming that he wanted me to have some closure so that I can move forward”. Josh said as he started to get restless. “Did you even wonder how the detective knew you were seeing me; I mean did it even cross your mind”. Doctor Nichols said staring intently to Josh. “What is this about just spit it out”. Josh said in an irritated voice. “Well, I know you told me that you had lost your mom and your sister and that you never got a chance to go the funeral or got a chance to find out what happened to them after that dreadful night; you basically stop getting information but then again you were a child so everything else was pretty much swept under the rug and here you are today, successful, a good head on your shoulder, educated and now about to be a married man”. “How did you know I was getting married, hey look what’s going on”. Josh said standing up quickly. “Detective Ingram has given me a call and informed me of your great progress and how you had to battle some major challenges with your natural father”. “What the heck is going on; doc you’re freaking me out; if you don’t start talking your going to have to two black eyes”. Doctor Nichols got up and went over to his desk and pulled out some papers and handed them to Josh. “What’s this”? Josh said moving closer to Dr. Nichols. “Just read them; please”. Dr. Nichols said backing up. Josh looked down at the papers and saw that there were birth certificates as he continued to look he saw the name of who the birth certificates were. “This is your birth certificate; so”. Josh said looking up. “Keep looking”. Dr. Nichols said. Josh continued to look and saw that the mother was the same name as his mother Linda, Josh continues to look further and saw that the father was Patrick Ingram. Slowly Josh raised his head and stared at Dr. Nichols. “Are you saying what I think your saying”? Josh said frowning. “Josh, I am your brother”. Dr. Nichols said stepping backwards. “I don’t believe this; am I in the twilight zone”. Josh said grabbing his head. “When our mother went into hiding after her first husband was thrown in jail, she remarried a year later but the second husband was worse than the first and she got the courage to leave him but not before having me and shortly after that I say about two years later she remarried a Patrick Ingram A.K.A my Sept dad and so your sister Rebecca, our mother, me and my dad Patrick Ingram have all been looking for you and this is the point where I say; please don’t be made at our mother”. Suddenly there was a knock on the door and the door open and it was detective Ingram. “Can I come in or is it safe”. The detective said poking his head in. “Not safe!” Josh said slamming down the birth certificate on the desk. “Look Josh I know this is a bit too much but there is no right time to tell you all of this and well I just don’t know where to begin other wise”. Dr. Nichols said easing forward. “So your name is Cannon and you’re saying my mother is your mother and this detective is your father and my sister is your sister”. Josh said squeezing his temples. “In a nutshell; yea and by the way can you call me Can or Cannon which ever you prefer”. Dr. Nichols said. “No! Dr. Nichols, I won’t call you Can or Cannon”. This was supposed to be a great ending to a horrible event but instead it seems like the stream of events keeps getting stranger and stranger. “Look let me come in and explain but you got to promise me you won’t hit me kid”. Detective Ingram said as he slid inside the office. “So are you really a detective or are you something else”. Josh said staring at detective Ingram up and down. “No, no Josh I am a detective and the husband of a beautiful woman your mother; look Josh this is not easy and it does seem like it keeps getting weirder by the day but there is no other way to let you know who we are and what we are to you; I love your mother so much that I did what I had to do to make her happy and that meant finding you and
hopefully reuniting you guys back together”. Josh sat down in the chair laying his head back and closing his eyes, Josh could not find the words to speak it was nearly five minutes that went pass before Dr. Nicholas said anything to Josh. “Josh my man, please say something; anything would be nice at this time”. Dr. Nicholas said sitting on the edge of the desk staring at Detective Ingram. “I’m very over whelmed right now and I don’t know what to believe at this point, do you really expect me to just be understanding and say oh really you’re my brother and you’re my stepdad; sorry guys it doesn’t work that way Josh said as he got up to pace the floor. Detective Ingram came over and sat on the other end of the desk. “Josh, let me explain from the very beginning, that night that you got separated from your mother; Jeff your dad did shoot your mother and sister and he would have shot you too but of course the police stop that. Well it took a while before your mother and sister recovered