“Ten minutes seems reasonable,” Ronald said, mulling it over. “I wouldn’t get past my name in two minutes.”
“Do you know Henry and Neera?” I asked. “That’s how they met. They were married last year.”
Ronald seemed to warm to the idea. “It would be nice to get out and talk to people again. I’ve spent too much time staring at these four walls. I know every crack and piece of peeled paint.”
Now Ronald was speakingmylanguage. Between my office and my cottage, I knew all the details of both interiors, good and bad. Did I do anything about the imperfections, though?
Nope. Too much effort.
“Welp,” Dr. Adam said, slapping his thighs. “We’ll leave you to get reacquainted with the world.” The druid rose to his feet.
Ronald’s smile intensified to a beam. “You know what? I’m actually looking forward to it. I think I’ll check the volleyball schedule.”
“Take care, Ronald,” I said, following Dr. Adam into the hallway.
The healer turned to face me. “I was so excited to see Ronald that I skipped breakfast. Would you like to grab something to eat? My treat.”
As much as it pained me, I had to unhook the druid and toss him gently back in the water. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
“If you have plans, I’d take a rain check.”
“You’re very kind. It’s one of the qualities I like about you.”
He frowned. “Why do I sense a ‘but’ coming?”
“But I think you should pursue breakfast, lunch, and dinner with someone capable of sharing those meals with you.”
Amusement tugged at the ends of his mouth. “You’re not capable of sharing meals? I won’t eat off your plate, promise.”
“It’s not a reflection of you, Adam. Not in any way, shape, or form. You’re handsome and smart and compassionate. You have the best qualities a person can have.”
But I didn’t.
“That all sounds promising,” he said, forcing a smile. “Why not share breakfast, lunch, and dinner with someone like that?”
“Because it wouldn’t end well, and then we’d be constantly either avoiding each other or awkwardly running into each other. There’d be no escape from the pain.”
The druid’s face softened. “Maya, you don’t escape pain by physically removing yourself.” He paused. “Well, you do if there’s an imminent threat of harm, but what you’re describing is an internal process. The ‘escape’ happens when you deal with your feelings instead of suppressing them. Anyway, you’ve gotten ahead of yourself. You’ve skipped to the sad ending without acknowledging all the wonderful parts that can happen in between. There’s a lot of excellent culinary experiences to be shared during those meals.”
“And they would only make the inevitable end more painful. Better to skip them all together.” Despite my pushback, I knew he wasn’t wrong. Stephen had suppressed his negative emotions and look how well that had turned out for him. The last thing this island needed was a Shadow Maya running amok. The Neighbors would be praying for a death like Darlene’s.
Dr. Adam cocked his head. “What is it, Maya? You look like you have more on your mind.”
I debated what to say next. I wasn’t in the mood to talk about myself, not that I ever was. Silence was my constant companion. It was safe, it was comfortable, and I saw no reason to invite discomfort for the sake of it.
Dear gods. Was I like Stephen?
No. I was suppressing information, not feelings. My situation was different. I had to believe that, because the alternative was too alarming to contemplate.
“I’m flattered by your interest, really, and I think you’re a catch.”
“But you’re not casting a net.”
“No.”
“All right, then. I respect ‘no’ as a complete sentence, so I’ll leave it there, but if you ever want to spend time with me as a friend or as a patient, I’m here for you, Maya. Always.”
“Thank you. I appreciate you saying that.”
