“Just take a moment here to breathe deeply and sayI give myself grace.” Molly closes her eyelids and takes a deep breath to demonstrate. “How does that feel?”
Both of us nod and smile. But neither of us will be taking home an acting award.
“Interesting,” says Molly. “I keep seeing a long stretch of road when I look at you two.”
“We each drove here.” I shrug. “Could that be it?”
“It probably means we’re on a journey,” says Nash. “Like metaphorically and spiritually speaking.”
“Maybe.” Molly smiles encouragingly. “Nash, would you be willing to tell us now what you see as having caused this break between you?”
“June tells it better.”
“Not really,” I say.
“She’s just a really gifted orator. You should hear her.”
“Um.” It’s fast becoming my word of the day. Grandma stares blankly at me. There’s no help coming from her. And then Nash compounds the problem by prodding me gently with his elbow. Like I’m not already under enough pressure.
“Tell her, my joy.”
I could always have a sudden sham medical emergency. However, my imagination is no better at coming up with a suitable illness to feign than it is at inventing failed relationships and their reasons. So I simply blurt out, “He knows what he did.”
“I do?” asks Nash with surprise.
“Yes.”
He pauses. “Would you mind maybe just reminding me of some of the more pertinent details or…”
“No. You have to tell her. This is on you.”
Molly’s gaze jumps between us like it’s a tennis match. Her grip on the quartz is tight enough to crack the crystal.
Nash’s dark brows draw down, and he gives me a very long look. But there’s no point in silently imploring me to save him when I can’t even save myself.
“You’re right,” he finally says, with much misplaced confidence. “I know what I did. Only I am so full of shame and remorse that I can’t bring myself to talk about it.”
Molly gives him a sad smile. “There isn’t one of us who hasn’t been in this exact same situation, Nash.”
“Yeah.” He scratches the side of his muscular neck. “I’m not so sure about that.”
“Each and every one of us has done something they regret,” says Molly. “There isn’t one person who hasn’t experienced a moment where they weren’t the best version of themselves. When they maybe felt like they let themselves and those around them down.”
“Wow,” says Nash. “That is exactly what’s going on here. You really hit the nail on the head.”
Molly nods serenely. “It hurts, doesn’t it?”
“So much.”
“Wounds like this need to be discussed and allowed to heal,” says Molly. “They can only start to mend when we bring them into the light of day. Nash, you need to trust June and me enough to share with us.”
He shakes his head.
“My spirit guide says you and June should hold hands. That a physical bridge between you two could be helpful.”
I hold out my hand and he takes it in a firm grip. His skin is warm and I don’t hate this.
“This is a safe space, Nash, remember?” asks Molly.
