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“It’s because she hates Vander so much, and she’s a freaking monster, that she’s hurting George. I’ll tell you, after seeing George’s face…after hearing Vander’s voice, I’m so grateful that Hope loves you.”
“Aw, baby. Your heart is so pure, do you know that?”
“Lucky…”
“Tell me, baby. What’s wrong?”
“I’m having an OCD flare-up. It’s not serious, but I need to regroup. I’ll still be there on Thursday. I’m just letting you know I’m currently at a low point.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“I don’t think so. If I think of something, I’ll ask.”
Wednesday morning, as soon as Junie left, I headed out to the house to see Ezinne.
She met me at the door, filling the frame with her smile as usual. “Well don’t you look like a used dishrag.”
“Ha,” I barked out a laugh, grateful for her straightforward manner that left me no room to misinterpret. “I feel like a used dishrag.”
I stopped at the door, almost too tired to step over the threshold.
Ezinne held out her hands for mine and tugged me inside. “Let’s go to my office first, then you can talk to the girls. They all have news they’ll want to share with you. Your friends have been here. Mara and Bex? Those two are a hoot together! Anyway, the girls all have things to share with you and I think you might even get a little gift.”
“I don’t deserve them,” I muttered.
“The very fact you value them tells me you do.”
Ezinne took her regular seat, and I took mine. Her office sat off the kitchen. A hundred years ago, it probably served as the cook’s bedroom. It was always cozier, but since Ezinne took over and filled it with vibrant color and life-giving plants, it was a haven.
The silence stretched comfortably between us, clearing space for me to think, beckoning me to share, inviting me to trust.
“Do you think I’m a danger to anyone?”
“Under the right circumstances, anyone could be a danger. Why should you be any different?”
“Do you think my OCD makes me a danger?”
“Are OCD thoughts dangerous?”
“Only to the person thinking them,” I grumbled.
The simple act of walking through these doors allowed me to lower my guard. Well, that and the fact that Ezinne had been my sounding board for years.
“Are your OCD thoughts things you want to do?”
“No.”
“Do they cause you distress?”
“Yes.”
“What makes you think they might make you dangerous?”
“If I lose control. If I somehow capitulate to its demands. Even accidentally.”
“Lay it out for me.”
I looked at her steadily, my anger rising.
