Sorrow's Sweet Song

By S. B. Mathews

Dr. Megan Russo has a a secret, a secret no one can know. She is in love with a man she can not have. Megan is in love with one of her patients. Living a solitary life in the Idaho countryside, Lenny Harris, watched his wife Vicky, die from the ravages of breast cancer a few years earlier. Immersing himself into his work was the only way he knew

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Native Publishers
• Release date: Dec 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9798869087065

S. B. Mathews

The Author, grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he graduated high school and went to college. After his schooling he went to work in the High Tech field, which he worked in for almost 4o years, in Santa Clara California, then Boise Idaho. Now retired, he lives a quiet life in eastern Idaho.

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Sorrow’s Sweet Song

S . ​B . ​M A T T H E W S

Copyright © 2022 S. B. Matthews

All rights reserved

First Edition

Fulton Books, Inc.

Meadville, PA

Published by Fulton Books 2022

ISBN 978-1-63860-160-9 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63860-161-6 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table Of Contents

C H A P T E R ​1

C H A P T E R ​2

C H A P T E R ​3

C H A P T E R ​4

C H A P T E R ​5

C H A P T E R ​6

C H A P T E R ​7

C H A P T E R ​8

C H A P T E R ​9

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C H A P T E R ​1 1

C H A P T E R ​1 2

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C H A P T E R ​1 7

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C H A P T E R ​2 0

C H A P T E R ​2 1

C H A P T E R ​2 2

C H A P T E R ​2 3

C H A P T E R ​2 4

C H A P T E R ​2 5

C H A P T E R ​2 6

C H A P T E R ​2 7

E P I L O G U E.

A B O U T  T H E A U T H O R

C H A P T E R​1

An alarm sounded in a dark bedroom. A lone figure jumped, startled at the shrill sound that reverberated through the room. Cursing, he fumbled with the old alarm clock on the nightstand to silence the alarm. Sitting at the edge of his bed, the man rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he let out a loud yawn. Slowly standing, he stretched his arms into the air.

Grabbing a pair of socks and underwear from the dresser, the man staggered down the hallway to the bathroom. Looking into the mirror, he said out loud as he noticed the gray in his hair and beard, God, I’m getting old!

Opening the shower door, he turned the handle and then paused for a moment while waiting for the water to get hot. After a few moments, he stepped into the shower. As the warm water cascaded over his body, he could feel the grogginess leave his head.

Lenny Harris was his name. He was fifty-five years old and lived alone in a small house in a suburb of Boise, Idaho.

Living there for almost ten years, Lenny bought the house with his wife, Vicky, but two years ago, Vicky died after a long and painful battle with breast cancer. In the course of two years, Vicky went from a healthy, active strong woman to a woman who no longer wanted to live with the extreme pain that she had to endure every day.

Lenny would always remember how helpless he felt as he slowly watched her die, and even though Vicky had been gone for almost two years, the thought of watching her die was almost more than he could stand.

They were the perfect couple. For eight years, everything was right with the world. Lenny often thought about the day they moved into their new house. In the summer mornings, they would sit out on the front porch and enjoy the view overlooking the valley.

The house sat on two acres of land, so there was plenty of room for chickens goats, or even a horse if they wanted. Which was always a dream of Vicky’s, but now, it was all gone. The house still remained, but all the animals were gone, and so was Vicky. A place that once was full of life and happiness was now dark and lonely, but Lenny couldn’t bring himself to move anywhere else. He felt that he was closer to Vicky there.

Lenny stepped out of the shower and dried himself. He fum- bled through the drawer, looking for his toothbrush; then finally realizing it was right in front of him next to the sink. While brushing his teeth, he remembered that he had a doctor’s appointment that day for a problem he was having with his right hand, the same hand he had broken two years earlier. Flexing his fingers, he could feel the pain shoot through his palm down to his wrist.

Lenny actually enjoyed his visits to the doctor. He always felt comfortable with her. At times, she seemed more like a friend than his doctor. He would talk about his trips to China or the Middle East. She always seemed so interested in Lenny’s life. There were times that she seemed to forget about the time, listening to Lenny’s stories.

Megan Rusco was her name. She had been Lenny’s doctor for almost eight years. Megan was forty-three years old. She was tall and slender, with short dark hair and big brown eyes. It hadn’t been until recently that Lenny had convinced himself that it was okay to be attracted to other women, and Lenny was definitely attracted to Megan. She was one of the few people Lenny trusted and was one of the few people with whom Lenny actually shared the pain of his loss. The day Vicky died, Lenny punched the wall in his living room, hitting a stud and fracturing his right hand. Lenny didn’t go to the hospital for two days afterward until he couldn’t take the pain any longer.

A few weeks later, Lenny made an appointment to see Megan. His hand was constantly throbbing, and he was nearly out of pain medication. Lenny walked into Megan’s office, looking like he hadn’t slept for days. His appearance shocked Megan, alerting her to the fact that something was seriously wrong. Lenny was quick and to the point, which was so unlike him, and it wasn’t until Megan started questioning Lenny that she found out that Vicky had died.

That day in the examination room, Lenny broke down and wept for almost an hour. He shared his pain with her. At the end of their meeting, Lenny looked up at Megan and noticed that she was crying, which deeply touched him.

I’m sorry, Lenny said. I didn’t mean to dump all this on you. It’s okay, Megan said, taking out a tissue and wiping her eyes.

Soon after that, Megan got Lenny the help that he needed in the form of a psychologist and grief counselor.

Lenny would always be grateful to her, but he had to face his demons alone. After that, Lenny didn’t see Megan for over a year.

Lenny often thought about Megan. But he was raised in a household where men didn’t cry or show an emotional side. The last time he had seen Megan, he had shown a side of himself to her very few people had seen. Lenny had always considered himself a strong, no-nonsense man, but Vicky’s death had brought him to his knees, and it embarrassed him that this side of him had been exposed to Megan. Lenny knew he had to get his life in order and rebuild his facade of strength before he could bring himself to see Megan again. Lenny opened the bathroom door and started down the hallway, back to his bedroom so he could finish dressing. At the end of the hallway, Lenny stopped and stood, looking at the door of the master bedroom—the same room he and Vicky shared. He had locked the door the day Vicky passed away and hadn’t opened it since. After a few moments, Lenny began talking as if Vicky herself was on the other side.

Baby, I miss you so much, Lenny said, putting his hand on the door. It has been so lonely here without you. I want you to know that even if I do find someone, I will always love you. I will always love you. Lenny repeated slowly. Pausing there for a few moments, Lenny wiped his eyes and then continued on to a guest bedroom where he had been sleeping.

Lenny brushed his beard, then inspected himself in his dresser mirror. After all, I want to make a good impression on Megan, he said to himself jokingly.

When he finished dressing, he walked out to the kitchen to get some breakfast before he left for work. He opened the fridge door and pulled out a gallon of milk and poured it into a bowl of cereal.

Sitting down at the table, he pulled his laptop toward him and began to read the news of the day. His mind kept drifting back to Megan. What was she really like? She seemed so down-to-earth and funny during my visits. Hell, I don’t even know if she had a boyfriend or a girlfriend, for that matter. What does it matter anyway? He said out loud, She’s my doctor. It wouldn’t be right of me to show interest in her!

Looking at the clock, Lenny saw that he was running behind. He finished his cereal and turned off the computer. Grabbing his keys and his briefcase, he thought, How wonderful would it be to have a woman in my life again? A woman who could bring some life back to this place.

Lenny locked the front door and walked toward his car, stopping as he reached for his car door. He noticed the sun peeking over the mountains.

He watched as the rays of sunlight spread over the valley like a huge hand through the clouds. It’s going to be a beautiful day, Lenny said to himself as he got in his car and drove down the long gravel driveway to work.

C H A P T E R ​2

It was early Monday morning in the high desert. The colors of the sunrise were brilliant. Reds, purples, and blues all intertwined with the white clouds hanging over the mountaintops. The early morning air was cool—perfect running weather.

Dr. Megan Rusco was a long-distance runner for the University of Washington track team twenty years earlier. She entered at least one marathon a year when her busy schedule permitted her to do so. This morning, Megan was running with her best friend Jessica, and Brandi, a neighbor who just moved in a few houses down from hers with her husband, Ian.

They were nearing the end of a three-mile run, which was a walk in the park for Megan, but it was almost seven in the morning, and she started seeing patients at eight. So she still needed to go home and shower before her ten-minute commute to her office.

The three women neared a small parking area where they had left their cars. Megan unlocked her door and pulled out a towel. Wiping her face, she walked over to where Brandi and Jessica were struggling to get enough oxygen into their lungs.

I’m running behind, so I’ve got to get going. Are you up for another run tomorrow? Megan asked Jessica and Brandi.

I think I’ll pass. Maybe next week, Brandi said, looking like she was going to be sick.

Are you okay, Brandi? Megan asked.

I just need to sit down for a while, Brandi responded, fighting back the nausea that had plagued her most of her run.

Make sure you drink plenty of water, okay? Megan said as Brandi slid into the front seat of her car, giving Megan a thumbs-up as she closed the door.

As Brandi drove off, Jessica commented how she didn’t think Brandi would be joining them for their morning runs anymore. Brandi’s a trooper, but I think she needs to stick with her treadmill and elliptical at home. I remember when I started running, Megan said, remembering her days at Boise High School. I got sick too. Once or twice. Who knows, she may surprise you.

Jessica shrugged her shoulders, not believing what Megan had just said after spending the morning walking most of the three-mile course with Brandi so she wouldn’t get left behind by herself.

Got to go, Megan said as she hugged Jessica. See you tomorrow?

Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Jessica answered, rolling her eyes.

Megan opened the door to her SUV. Getting in, she paused for a moment to take a drink of water. Then starting the engine, she began her short drive home.

Megan lived in a small, secluded neighborhood just minutes from the greenbelt. She lived alone in a three-bedroom house that was a bit larger than what she wanted when she bought it, but the location was perfect. She was close to Downtown Boise where she liked to shop, and she was only a twenty-minute drive away from the mountains where she liked to hike and go camping with friends and family.

Megan had never been married. She had been fiercely dedicated to her profession which she invested so much time and money into. Though she did have a number of relationships, none of them lasted. Her work was always her priority, and none of the men she was involved with were willing to play second fiddle to Megan’s career.

Now, however, Megan felt a twinge of remorse when she thought about her lack of meaningful relationships in her