“Oh, yeah, um, sure. I’ll take you back. This way, please.”
She rises from her chair and swiftly leads me down the hall towards Jenna’s office.
“Watch your step,” she says, pointing at a wet spot on the grey carpet.
I scrunch my nose at the strong disinfectant smell as I walk around it and follow her into the brightly lit room.
“Jenna can’t meet with you today, but she has someone covering for her. They will be with you shortly,” she says with a quick smile.
She doesn’t wait for a response before turning and closing the door quietly.
“Okay…” I drawl out into the empty room.
“Thanks, I guess,” I mumble to myself.
Jenna is going on maternity leave soon; her replacement must have started early. Not ideal for me because I really wanted to see her, but it’s fine. It will have to be.
Wandering around the space, I admire the art on the wall. One thing I like about coming here is that it doesn’t feel clinical. Sure, there’s a large wooden desk, a matching bookshelf filled with reference books, and a plexiglass wall unit overflowing with mental health pamphlets, but there’s also a warm, welcoming vibe. They painted the walls a muted blue. Someone arrangeda couch and four chairs on an area rug to create a comfortable sitting area. Lush plants hang in front of the sunny window, and a few other personal touches decorate the room.
I’m not sure how much time has passed, but I feel like I have been waiting for a while. It figures that on the day that I am early, the therapist is running behind. I pull my phone out of my bag to check social media while I wait. I don’t even have time to open the app when I get a text notification.
And just like that, my already bad day gets a little bit worse.
Braden
Stop ignoring me, Beck.
We need to talk.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath before responding. Boundaries. I need to set some firm boundaries. Steeling myself, I reply.
No, we really don’t
Braden
Don’t be like that.
I don’t need very much. Enough to hold me over until payday.
A couple hundred dollars.
He says that, but it’s never enough. And paydays are few and far between with that man.
No. I don’t have it.
Braden
$100
This isn’t a negotiation. I don’t have it.
Tears stream down my face as I close the app and turn off my phone before I read his reply.When will this end?
Two
When I came to work this morning, did I expect to be standing beside my colleague Jenna when her water suddenly broke? I can’t say that I did. I would have worn different shoes.
Up to that point, it had been a typical day. I had a nice appointment with one of my favourite clients, Grace Knight. She recently started dating again, and she’s so happy. She has come a long way since we first met, and I’m glad I got to be a part of her healing journey.
