Chapter 10: Rules

She was still feeling low when she answered the phone that evening. "Hi, Dad."

Her father sounded concerned. "Are you okay? I can come back over if you…"

"No, no, I'm fine, Dad. Thanks."

Silence for a moment; she could almost imagine her father trying to find something to fill in that silence. When he spoke again, it was absolutely the last thing she expected to hear—or wanted to hear. "So how's that young man of yours?"

"What?" She choked on her sip of water.

"That Detective. John Riley. Okay, maybe he's not that young to you—he's older than you—but he's young to me. So how's he doing? Had to have shook him up seein' you like that. I figured that was why he left so quickly."

"Dad, John Riley is—was—a patient."

"Could have fooled me, the way you two were hangin' onto each other."

She nearly choked again. "What?"

"You mean…you two…"

"Um. No, Dad. Really." She knew she had to be red as a tomato right now.

"Why not?"

She put her glass down. "Oh my God. We are not having this conversation. John Riley was a patient, Dad. There are rules about getting involved with patients—or former patients."

"Those are professional rules, Kitten. What about your heart's rules?"

"I…" Words failed her as a lump rose to her throat.

"Iris, look. I know you're an adult and you have your own life, your own decisions to make, but take some advice from your old man, okay? I know it's been a long time since Kevin. I know how much it hurt when you lost him—'specially the way you lost him, in the car crash and all."

Tears filled Iris's eyes as she heard her father's words. You have no idea, Dad…but he was rushing on.

"Now, it's been almost ten years since Kevin. I know you loved him. I know it hurt losing him. But you can't just shut yourself off for the rest of your life, Kitten. Kevin would have wanted you to be happy, to enjoy yourself." Iris caught her breath in a sob, remembering her last memory of Kevin Holloway. "Shutting yourself off isn't going to do that. I've seen you with a few guys since Kevin died, and I never said anything because I could feel it wasn't serious…but that wasn't what I saw that night in the hospital, Kitten. I have never seen a man look at you the way he did that night."

"How…did he look at me?" she could hardly breathe through the hard lump in her throat.

"Like he wanted to take all your pain away if he could. Like you were the only person that mattered to him in the world. Like he was a ship without an anchor and you were his mooring line. And you were so confused from that head bump—you kept holding onto him, and he kept holding onto you, and the doctors practically had to pry your hands apart. You wouldn't let go, and he didn't want to. I saw his face when docs told him since he wasn't family, he had to leave; he didn't want to go, but he had to.

"Love like that doesn't come around that often, Kitten. Once in a lifetime, if you're lucky. I had that with your Mom. I thought you had that with Kevin, and I doubted there would ever be anyone you loved, and who loved you that much, again. Then I saw John in the hospital that night, and…well, not everyone gets a second chance at love, Kitten. Not a love like that. And maybe I'm an old man, and what do I know, but I want my girl to be happy, and if you don't grab at this, you might never have that chance again."

"He's a former patient, Dad, and there are rules…" Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"If rules get in the way of love, Kitten, then they aren't rules meant to be followed. Love's the only rule that ever means anything. Okay, so you get involved with him, and the psych licensing board finds out. What happens? You get censured. Maybe fired from your job at the police department. Maybe even lose your psych license. But I'm pretty sure you'll still have him. And that will make it all worth it, Kitten. You can always find another job, another career. You're like a cat, you always land on your feet. Even when I've had doubts, you've always proven me wrong. The only thing I've never seen you land on your feet from was Kevin, and you have a shot at it now." He heard her crying. "See, now I've gone and made you all upset. I'm sorry, Kitten, I didn't mean to do that."

"No. No, it's okay, Dad."

After he hung up the apartment was quiet except for Iris's sobbing. Zeya wandered over, purring, settled herself under Iris's hand. Iris started petting the cat almost automatically, but the repetitive motion helped calm and soothe her, and for a long time there was nothing but a cat's soft purring in a silent apartment.