Session Five
SESSION FIVE
DESERT FLOWER THERAPY
“How did you feel about your dad getting remarried?”
I sip the coffee I’ve brought to today’s session. “Like I wish he’d done it sooner.”
“Why?”
“If he’d remarried while I was still a kid, maybe I could’ve spent more time being one. I know that sounds incredibly selfish. I’m sorry.”
Dr. Ruben shakes his head at me. “You don’t have to be sorry in here. And you don’t have to be afraid to say how you feel. No self-censoring necessary.”
I muster a smile. “I feel bad for wishing he’d gotten over my mother faster. She was a good person, and she deserved his grief.”
“Did you deserve his neglect?”
The emotional punch of his words leaves me breathless. “No.”
Dr. Ruben watches me, assessing, and when a full minute passes without me speaking, he says, “Let’s keep talking about Gabriel.”
My eyebrows pull together. “I came here to move past what happened with Gabriel. Not remember how we fell in love.”
Dr. Ruben stays silent, tipping his head and watching me.
“Fine.” I throw up my hands. “I know, I know. You must go back before you can go forward.”
“You need to go back, Avery. Remember how you ended up in my office?”
One side of my nose begins to scrunch, but I force it down. “Right. Ok. I get it. Let’s do this.” My heavy sigh punctures the air. “Down the rabbit hole we go.”