11:35 A.M.
BIRMINGHAM APARTMENTS, MINNEAPOLIS
SERENA WAS STILL ASLEEP, tousled hair and peaceful face resting on a pillow. I kissed her forehead and slipped out of bed. I picked my clothing off the floor and, in my usual obsessive manner, put them away. I stopped and appreciated Serena in my bed. I glanced at her clothing disarrayed about the floor on her side of the bed, and smiled. Yesterday, I almost lost her. Being with Serena made me the luckiest man on earth.
Psychologists point out that we are driven by thirst, hunger, and sex. But it’s not that simple. I had all of those desires met before I sought out Serena. Sociologists would add a desire for power to the formula, but they’re wrong. It only feels like power from the outside. Our most powerful drive is a desire for affirmation—to be heard, understood, comforted, and soothed. Serena and I shared an affirming, passionate synchrony I couldn’t experience with anyone else.
Both Tony and Clay accused Serena of manipulating me, and accused me of mindlessly following her lead. I feel like I can be the man I was meant to be in her presence. Is my driving force an engrained sense of morality, or simply a codependent desire for affection from a compassionate partner? Driver or driven? I didn’t care. As a result of her influence, I was happy, sleeping soundly, free from my past . . . and unconcerned how it appeared to others.
THE END
About the Author
Frank Weber is a forensic psychologist who has completed assessments for homicide, sexual assault, and physical assault cases. He has received the President’s award from the Minnesota Correctional Association for his forensic work. Frank has presented at state and national psychological conventions and teaches college courses in psychology and social problems. Raised in the small rural community of Pierz, Minnesota, Frank is one of ten children (yes, Catholic), named in alphabetical order. Despite the hand-me-downs, hard work, and excessive consumption of potatoes (because they were cheap), there was always music and humor. Frank has been blessed to share his life with his wife, Brenda, since they were teenagers.
Murder Book Page 26