Session Four
SESSION FOUR
DESERT FLOWER THERAPY
“I vaguely remember that newspaper article,” Dr. Ruben says. “I believe it was the picture that drew my attention.”
I fidget with my bracelet, watching my fingers work the clasp. “It was an arresting photo.”
“Dramatic. Spectacular.” Dr. Ruben pauses, then adds, “Romantic.”
The image is there in my mind, ever present. I don’t have to close my eyes to see the photo as clear as if I were holding it in my hands. “It sure was.”
“What a way for a relationship to begin.”
I drop the bracelet and look up. “I think about that sometimes. How we met in an elevated circumstance. Usually two people meet, and they take time to ramp up. Start slow, a dinner here and a movie there. Me and Gabriel, we never had that. We hit the ground running from the very first second.”
“It sounds like you two had an intense connection.”
“We did.”
“You mentioned your research project. Is compassion what you landed on when your research concluded?”
“Yes and no. Compassion was the best word I could find to encompass it all. But it really seemed like different people needed different things from their spouses. And the ones who made it long-term were the people whose spouses gave them what they needed, whatever that might be.”
“Fascinating.” Dr. Ruben’s eyes squint wistfully. “I always loved that part of research. Starting out in one place, and winding up somewhere you never saw coming.”
“Sounds like you’re describing life.”
His gaze falls back to me. “I suppose I could be.”
I glance at his office walls, my name replacing his on the framed diplomas. “I’m certainly not somewhere I imagined I’d end up.”
He nods, eyes watchful. “Let’s keep going.”