“Do you have a photo of CJ?”
I gave her a small sarcastic laugh. There were dozens of pictures of my little nugget. I'd saved more pictures of him on my phone than any of my family members combined. I pulled up a selfie of us on The SeaGlass Carousel on my phone and handed it to her.
"Well." She smiled before handing my phone back to me. "I can definitely see how one might make that assumption. That is one adorable little guy, and you both look happy. Why do you think you didn't correct the woman at the park?"
"At first, I thought it would be easier than giving her an explanation, but now I think I did it because I wanted it to be true. I've just gotten so attached. I love CJ, and I feel like he's mine. That can't be healthy, right? Given my history?"
“Well, let’s see.” She sat up and leaned forward in her chair. “Do you view CJ as a potential replacement for the children you wanted to have during your marriage?”
“No.”
“Do you believe that you conceived, carried, and gave birth to CJ?”
“Of course not.”
“Do you have the desire to harm CJ or take him away from his family?”
“Oh my God, no.”
"Well, I'm not concerned, and I don't think you should be either. It sounds like you're a good fit." She sat back in her chair. "I feel like there's something else. You haven't talked about CJ's brother. Cole, right? You've mentioned him a lot in previous sessions, but today, nothing. Tell me about him."
I told her about the rapid progression of our relationship and the self-imposed limbo we’d cast ourselves into.
“And the employment contract was your idea?”
"Yes. It's the responsible thing to do…so we both know where we stand."
“Tell me about your dating life since the divorce.”
"I had that one-night stand. Does that count?"
“You tell me.”
“No, I haven’t been on any dates,” I murmured.
“Why do you think that is, Lisa?”
“I don’t know. I just got divorced. I’m seeing a new doctor. I moved to a new city and am trying to figure out my life.”
“You’ve been divorced over a year. When do you feel that you might explore dating again?”
“Never… I don’t know.”
“Let’s explore your feelings about Cole.”
My thoughts instantly went to him. I loved the way his eyes lit up whenever he saw me. I loved the way he messed up his hair when he was nervous. I loved the feeling of falling asleep in his arms. I thought of the three of us dancing together in the nursery and how perfect it felt.
"I might be in love with Cole." I blurted it out because it hadn't occurred to me until that moment. I thought I might be falling in love, but that was in the middle of a sex marathon. But, in love? Of course, I was in love with Cole. I probably had been for a while, but how could that be?
“Might? Talk about that.”
"It's too soon. I've only known Cole for three months."
“People have fallen in love in less time.”
"I was with my ex for six years before we got married, and that was a disaster."
"They are two different people, and you've changed since you were a teenager."
