Chapter Twenty-one #2
“I do. It’s creative and shows you’re really thinking it through. Are you going to put any color on it?”
“Yeah, I think I’ll make the addiction side gray and the recovery side yellow. Yellow is a happy color.”
“I agree. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.”
She moved around the room, asking questions and encouraging them. It wasn’t lost on her that they were more at ease with a woman when it came to opening up. She wasn’t a threat to them.
“Ms. Reese, which one of these is red?” Blain asked, holding up red and orange coloured pencils.
“Color blind?”
He shrugged. “Sorta. I can see some colors better than others.”
“The one in your left hand is red. Can I see your work?”
“Sure.”
Reese’s eyes widened at the sight of his work.
It was beautiful. He had turned his simple outline into a work of art.
One side was a devil with pointy features and black wings.
A large gash was in his side. On the other was an angel with soft, round features and fluffy wings.
The gash was healed, leaving only a scar. “Oh wow, Blain, this is fantastic!”
A blush graced his cheeks. He still had some baby fat in his face, making him look even younger. “It’s alright. I like drawing. Well, I used to like drawing. Don’t do much of it these days.”
“Well, I think you should pick it back up. You’re very talented.”
“Thanks, Ms. Reese. If I don’t get it finished before the end of Group, can I take it and some colored pencils back to Sparrow?”
“Yes, just promise you’ll bring the pencils back.”
“I can do that.”
The rest of Group went well. By the end, the walls were covered with artwork that was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. It was well worth the effort to put together. The atmosphere was light when they exited the basement.
Once everything had been put up, she wandered down the hall to Kerrie’s office to pass along the group notes. They had developed a system of whoever didn’t do Group would put both of their caseload notes into the system.
“Well, that went really well,” she gloated as she tossed the stack of notes down on Kerrie’s desk.
“Yeah? That’s great.”
“You’ll have to go down there and look at what they made. We’re leaving them up until the end of the day so the painted ones can dry.”
“I’ll do that the next time I go stretch my legs.”
Not ready to leave yet, she looked out the window. Clients were scattered around, but it was a familiar body trudging across the grounds with a big box that caught her focus.
It had been almost a week since their date. They’d seen each other every morning before work and every afternoon at the end of it, and were texting a lot. Reese felt like a teenager again, all giddy and butterflies.
“Matty’s out there, isn’t she?”
Reese turned to frown at her coworker. There was no way for Kerrie to be able to see out of the window from her position. “How did you know that?”
She chuckled. “Both of you get this dreamy look on your faces when you look at each other. Or talk about each other, for that matter.”
She couldn’t deny it. “I really like her.”
“I think she really likes you. I saw how cuddled up you were at the party. It was great to see. Especially for Matty. She’s been so focused on staying sober. And I’m glad for that. She needed time to get right, but I think this is good for her too.”
Reese mulled over her words as she watched Matty disappear from view. “Can I ask you something that might be rude?”
“Go for it. It takes a lot to offend me.”
Turning away from the window, she began running her fingers over the spines of books on the bookshelf near her. Nervousness made sitting sound restraining. “Has Bette ever expressed concern about being with an addict? I know you’ve been clean for over two decades but did she have doubts?”
Kerrie just stared at her for a moment, and with every second that went by, tension tightened in her belly. She shouldn’t have said anything.
But then Kerrie nodded, and a sympathetic smile tugged at her lips. “She did. I think it was a little easier for her to accept because she never saw me in active addiction. You, on the other hand, see the repercussions of using every day. This is about Matty, right?”
“Yeah, and I feel awful about it, but it’s just, you’re right. I see it all the time. And yes, she has over two and a half years of clean time. And yes, she’s got a good head on her shoulders. She’s literally doing everything I tell clients to do.”
“But the possibility of relapse is still there.”
She collapsed into the nearest chair. “Yes. I love what we have going on. I’ve been on cloud nine since the party.
I haven’t met someone like her before. She’s funny and smart and has not batted an eye once at— at things in my past and present I’m not very fond of.
She’s seen my biggest weakness and just smiled and supported me.
And while I’m being honest, she’s really hot.
That tool belt could get me to give up every secret I know. ”
Kerrie chuckled. “I knew you liked that tool belt. You almost drooled that day you were getting the tour.”
Reese ducked her head. “I mean, it’s a nice look.”
“Right. But back to Matty. Realistically, there is always going to be a chance. There’s also a chance that you could be with someone else, and they develop an addiction. We’ve seen it happen over and over. The spouse says it came out of nowhere.”
“That’s true. Maybe it’s just nerves. I haven’t been in a relationship in years. I feel so out of my depth but also, I want to keep seeing her. I just, I guess I just want to make sure that I’m not making a mistake.”
“Does Matty feel like a mistake?”
She answered without hesitation. “No, not at all.”
“Then maybe you just take it as it comes. You’re still brand new to each other, and there’s nothing saying you can’t break things off later if things don’t feel right.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Just enjoy it. Let go of the reins and just go with the flow.”
Going with the flow wasn’t exactly her thing, but if it meant doing it with Matty, then maybe it was time to try letting go of some control. Time would only tell.