Mended Hearts ✔️ 18+ 🍭

Epilogue ✔️

♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎

HEATHER AND DYLAN WRIGHT

It is hard to believe we are back here to stay. It looks strange to see our names on the door of what once was Emily's room.

When Westward asked us to teach the partnered therapy class, we couldn't believe it.

We both now have degrees, but it is highly unusual to have two people leading this class.

But I guess old man Westward knows Heather, and I come as a packaged deal.

Where one of us goes, the other follows.

And the way the new schedules are set up, we can split out time 75/25 between our house and here, and here comes with housing accommodations for the time we're here.

"It feels so strange being back in this room again." She says, looking at the small tables with a chair on either side of each.

"Brings back a lot of memories, huh?"

"Definitely." She says with a smile, tiptoeing to give me a peck on the lips, her pregnant belly rubbing against me.

"I'm still just as crazy for you now as I was then." I say, kissing her a little harder before we have to reluctantly part.

We get our papers ready for the kids.

I check the schedule, it looks like for the time being we have 15 kids.

That leaves one without a partner.

We'll figure it out.

I look at Heather as the kids start filing into the classroom.

"Are you ready for our first day, Mrs. Wright?" I ask her with a smile.

"Absolutely, Mr. Wright."

In about 10 minutes, all of the kids are seated.

"Good morning, everyone. Welcome to partnered therapy. I will be one of the instructors. My name is Mr. Wright, but you may call me Dylan. This is my lovely co-instructor and wife, Heather."

"Good morning, everyone. So some of you may be wondering exactly what partnered therapy is. I know I had no idea when I first heard of it. So basically, what that means is that you will be paired with someone here in class, and you will work together on exercises to not only get to know one another but eventually work through some of the issues you may be facing. Here at Westward, we believe that sometimes it is easier to relate to someone your own age and that oftentimes you are able to work through things with your peers easier than you can with an adult you don't really know and who can't share much of themselves with you. In just a few minutes, we will begin assigning each of you partners. The person to whom you are assigned will be with you until you leave. All assignments will be done with this partner; no exceptions."

"Mrs. Wright," a young, dark-haired girl, begins with her hand raised.

"Yes?" Heather responds.

"You said everyone would have a partner, but there are 15 of us. That means one of us will be left without a partner."

"Well, when we pair everyone up, one group will have 3 people instead of..."

She is interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

The dark-haired girl looks at the door, and I see an "Oh God" expression on her face.

I turn my attention to the door and see a tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy strut in.

He reeks of cockiness. Aside from looks, he reminds me a lot of myself when I first came here. I see him make eye contact with the dark-haired girl, and a look passes between them.

"Vi, so we meet again." He says this with a smirk, addressing her.

"It's Viola, and I have no interest in meeting you again, Kyle. Once was more than enough for me." She says it with more attitude than I would have thought she was capable of a moment ago.

"Oh, trust me, Vi, you'll change that beautiful face, and mind before long." Kyle responds. To which Vivian rolls her eyes.

"OK, so Kyle, I presume. I'd like you to have a seat so we can begin." Heather tells him.

He, of course, takes the seat across from Viola, to which she's clearly annoyed.

"Alright so... You and you, switch seats. And you switch with him. Now you with her. Now you and you, yes, you swap places." I arranged the kids.

I purposely leave Viola and Kyle seated across from one another, which causes Viola to look at me with a panicked expression and kind of nod her head at Kyle as if to say, Please don't do this to me; come on, move him.

Not a chance.

Heather looks at me confused, but I just flash her a small smile, and she seems to catch on.

"Take a good look at the person that is now seated across from you. This person will be your partner for the duration of your stay or the duration of this term, whichever comes first." Heather addresses the class.

I walk to the desk and grab the stack of papers similar to the ones we were given on our first day. And hand half of them off to Heather.

"OK, so this will be your first assignment. There are one hundred questions that you have to ask your partner, and you have to write their response. All questions must be answered and returned upon your arrival to class tomorrow; there are no exceptions. You must communicate with one another, even if it's only in this class. If you don't get the assignment done before class ends, then you will meet up afterwards to finish the assignment. Any questions?" Heather tells them.

The words have no more than left her mouth when Viola's hand flies into the air.

Both Heather and I approach their table.

"Yes, Viola?" I ask.

"Please, Mr. and Mrs. Wright, is there any way that I can get a new partner? I don't think I can take having to talk to him," she gestures to Kyle "every day. He's freaking crazy."

"Why, Vi, you're breaking my heart here." Kyle is holding his chest, acting upset. "But you're right, I am crazy, crazy sexy, and I can drive any woman crazy in bed." He says it with a wink.

"You're going to drive me fucking crazy enough to knock that crazy smirk off your face." She snaps back.

"I'm sorry, Viola; there will be no partner changes unless something happens and your partner leaves." Heather says it calmly, cutting off their insults.

"Oh, that can be arranged." She retorts, shooting a look that could kill Kyle, who just sits there with his arms crossed across his chest, smiling.

I kneel down at the table and grab Heather's hand, running my finger across her wedding band that matches my own. "Viola, I know you aren't happy with this right now, but a very wise woman once told me. "Often times, our greatest allies begin as enemies."

Heather looks down at me and smiles, knowing exactly what I do.

I give it no more than three weeks before Kyle and Vi find themselves falling just as hard as we had.

♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎

The End