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But he was a grown man and should be able to deal with trauma. Po was just a little boy.
“I’ll give you a number for one,” the doctor said. “Although I think she’s probably booked. There were a lot of kids affected by the tsunami. Po isn’t the only one. They lost parents or siblings, or they had injuries. Since the Red Cross has moved out, it’s been harder for us to shoulder the load. And beyond the psychological toll, some kids still don’t even have a good place to live.”
Kai piped up. “What about the fund-raisers, to help the victims?”
“That money is long gone. All used up,” Dr. Hill said.
“What if we had another fund-raiser?” Kai offered. “I could use the surfing competition to raise money.”
Dr. Hill glanced at Kai, eyes widening. “So many kids could benefit,” she said. “Po is definitely not alone.”
“Po doesn’t need charity.” Jun pressed her lips in a thin line. Kai blinked at her, surprised by the vehemence.
“Well, other kids do. And in the meantime, Po could still see a therapist...”
“No.” Jun shook her head. “Po doesn’t need a therapist. We’ll get through it on our own.”
“But if Po talked to someone...” Kai began, not quite believing that he was trying to convince her to give psychology a chance. He was aware of the little boy listening to every word. Kai pulled her away from Po’s bedside and lowered his voice. “It could help him, Jun.”
“I said no.” Jun’s eyes burned hot. Kai knew he was overstepping his bounds, but he couldn’t help it. Not when she was making such a boneheaded decision, and not when she wouldn’t even talk about it. The woman was so infuriating. Completely vulnerable one minute and then an absolute granite fortress the next. “He doesn’t need help.”
“He clearly does,” Kai said, exasperated. “He’s not sleeping. He won’t go near the water. It’s been a year.”
“Don’t tell me how to raise my son,” Jun growled, her temper flaring up like a tiki torch. Kai realized too late he’d gone too far, stepped into quicksand before he’d even known he was in danger. Why was she so angry? Like a mama bear defending her cub. Ferocious.
“I’m not telling you anything, I’m just...” Telling her how to raise her son. Because she’s being pigheaded and not listening to reason!
“Is Po free to go?” Jun asked the doctor, who had been watching the escalating fight with concern.
“I can discharge him, but I really think you ought to consider...”
“Come on, Po. We’re going,” Jun said, her mouth set in a stubborn line. Kai wondered if she’d figure out now or later that she had no car or means of getting home. He’d offer to drive, but in this mood, she might insist on taking a cab.
Maybe I ought to let her, he thought as he trudged after the stubborn woman pulling Po along behind her.
* * *
THAT NIGHT, JUN still seethed about Kai’s presumption as she angrily scrubbed dishes. She’d put Po to bed, and still, she stewed. Kai was not Po’s father. His father was a professional football player who’d not bothered to check up on the boy since he was born. Yes, Kai had saved his life, but that didn’t give him the right to tell him how he ought to live it.
She was Po’s mother, and she’d decide what was best for him. And the idea of some stranger helping him when she couldn’t... Well, her tiger mom would be rolling in her grave. People who don’t do for themselves are lazy or stupid, her mom had once said.
Granted, Jun knew her mother was prone to extremes and wasn’t always right. But then, wasn’t there a grain of truth in nearly everything she said, even if she always went the harshest route? She’d disowned her for her teen pregnancy, and yet hadn’t that forced her to become strong? Wasn’t that what a good mother did?
Jun felt torn, her insides a jumble of emotions, and Kai seemed like the best target for them. His life was a mess, yet he was going to give her advice?
She knew it sounded irrational, but the fact was, no one in her family had ever had counseling. Not that anybody would ever admit to needing it. She’d find a way to help Po with his nightmares and his fear of water. She’d be the one to solve his problem, not a stranger with a degree on the wall who probably just wanted to give him some unhealthy prescription. She tried boiling some calming lavender herbs at bedtime. If Po weren’t so silly about yoga, she’d make him do more of that, but the little boy was just too small to take it seriously. He thought it was more of an excuse to wrestle than a way to calm himself. Jun couldn’t do Downward-Facing Dog without Po taking it as an invitation to launch himself on her back.
