“It was supposed to be this way.”
He looked confused.
“I was supposed to find him,” she said as she looked in my direction.
“We were supposed to find each other…and we finally did.”
Lennon
Four weeks later
“Don’t you think it’s intrusive to bring me to your therapy session? I don’t have to go if you don’t want me to. I’ll be fine here with Nova,” Asher said.
I hadn’t left his side much since he’d been admitted to the hospital. And now that he was out, I clung to him even more intensely. He stayed with me, much to his parents’ reluctance about whether I possessed the ability to properly care for him, but he was adamant. And so was I.
I could be good for him.
And, well, he was really fucking good for me.
“Of course I want you to come with me. Rachel hasn’t had a chance to meet you, and she knows you’re coming this session. Don’t make me look bad, Asher,” I pleaded.
He chuckled. “Never, little siren.”
Asher scratched Nova’s head before exiting the apartment and closing the door behind him. He checked that the door was locked, then took my hand. A small part of me was still getting used to someone holding it like that—enduringly. Like he genuinely wasn’t going anywhere.
When we arrived at the doorsteps of therapy, he seemed nervous.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He exhaled a long breath, and forced a smile to greet me. “I’ve never been to therapy before.”
Confusion fled my face. “What do you mean? You talk about all the groups you’ve been a part of…”
A hand flew to the back of his neck. “Yeah, but I’ve never done a one-on-one session. This is all new territory for me.”
I smiled. “Rachel is important to me. Probably one of the most patient humans I’ve ever met. She’s a safe person,” I reiterated, knowing what I said was the truest statement about her.
He nodded as we entered and moved up the stairs toward the sixth floor. I watched him assess his surroundings. The building was modern, all soft edges with a minimalist comfort. It had been part of the draw for me. I’d felt a sense of safety here, one I’d not known before.
“I can see why you love it here,” he muttered.
The door clicked open, and in her usual chipper self, Rachel appeared. “Hello, Lennon. So glad to see you. And you must be Asher.”
She offered her hand with a wide grin.
He shook it, trying his best to appear unnerved despite the session ahead.
“Come on in. I’m very excited to hear about you two today,” she said, stepping back into her office casually.
Asher looked behind, offering me the space to walk ahead of him.
She had calmed his nerves, and for that I was grateful.
Today was going to be a good session. Likely a little less heavy in nature, but it would be healing nonetheless.
* * *
Quietly, we exited Rachel’s office. I was eager to hear what Asher had to say about sitting with her for the last hour, but something in his posture told me he was still turning it over in his brain first.
