Charlie, for his part, brooded in his office at CalSci.

"Why did she lie?" he lamented for the upteenth time while pacing.

Evening came, and he was still there. Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door, but didn't answer.

"It's me! Your father!" Alan said from the other side of the door.

"Dad? Sorry! I didn't know it was you" Charlie quickly opened the door.

"I made you a chicken breast sandwhich" Alan gave him a paper bag.

"Thanks Dad!" Charlie said, though he didn't feel hungry.

"Charlie, life is too short for you to be holding on to your anger" Alan began. Margaret's illness and his heart attack had reminded him of how fleeting life is. It pained him greatly to see Charlie angry at his mother.

"Dad..please" Charlie shook his head and sighed. He couldn't bring himself to forgive her, not yet.

"Maybe you should see a therapist?" Alan suggested, figuring that it was what Charlie needed. Nothing else was working, after all.

"I'm fine"

"Do it for me?" Alan requested again.

"Dad..."

"It hurts me to see you like this!"

Charlie saw the pain and pleading in his father's eyes, and said "Fine...I'll go to therapy". Given that the man had almost died, the mathematician didn't have the heart to say no.

"You won't regret it!" Alan smiled happily. For Charlie, that made the inconvenience worthwhile.

Reluctantly on Monday,Charlie made an appointment for Friday around four.

"How are you Charles?" Larry asked, upon visiting his friend's office.

"Fine, I'm going to see a therapist" Charlie sighed.

"Really?" Larry gave him a surprised look.

"I'm doing it for my Dad. He insisted that I go"

"Oh..." Larry nodded.

-----------------------------------------------

Friday came, and Charlie was in the waiting room, filling out a questionaire. When he finally finished it, he turned it in to the receptionist, and then finally it was his turn.

When, they were settled ina gray consulation room, Charlie began reluctantly.

"I came here on my Dad's suggestion...see I uh...just found out that my Dad is my stepfather."

"How did you find out?" a red haired therapist asked.

" To make a long story short,I overheard my father talk to my mother's wedding picture, telling her that he loved me despite knowing 'the truth'. I demanded to know what that meant, and he told me that my mother had an affair. Eventually, he also revealed my biological father's identity."

"That must have been a shock for you" she comiserated.

"Yeah it was."Charlie said uncomfortably.

"Have you confronted your mother?"

"She passed away recently, before I found out"

"I'm sorry to hear that"

"She should have told me before she passed!" Charlie's anger arose yet again.

"How do you admit to something like that?" she asked, playing devil's advocate.

"I had a right to know!" On and on Charlie ranted until it was the end of the session. He promised to return. When he left, the therapist had an idea.

"Maybe some role playing is in order..."

With, that, she went to her next client.

TBC