AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I sit back in bed, the note still clutched between my fingers. One is to help me keep custody of the children. The other is to make sure that they’re happy and healthy. I suppose in a way, itispersonal; itissweet.
Maybe this is his way of showing me how much he cares. If not for me, then at least for the children.
Although last night went a long way in showing me that whatever we shared before everything went to shit is not totally gone.
Maybe I gave up too fast. After he accused me of betraying him, I just stopped trying to convince him otherwise. That was just pride on my part. If he was so sure that I was a backstabbing bitch, then I figured I would justlethim think that. Was I really going to degrade myself by begging him to hear my side of the story when it was clear he didn’t want to?
But now, it feels silly and juvenile.Of courseI should have forced him to hear my side of the story. I should have screamed it at his back if I had to! Anything to make him hear me. It isn’t about us; it’s about the child we’re going to be raising together. That child deserves some semblance of peace and normalcy.
So do the other three.
The first thing I do is call Alicia Young. She’s polite and professional and she agrees to make a house call after breakfast to speak to Josh.
After I get dressed and go downstairs, I prepare Josh for the appointment. He’s quiet and thoughtful but he doesn’t seem reluctant to talk to her. I get in a few quick words of advice before he tells me, “I get it, Aunt Emma. It’ll be okay. I’ll talk to her.”
The girls are in the pool when Alicia arrives. She’s younger than I expect, probably in her mid-thirties with a stylish bob and thick, purple-rimmed glasses that go a long way in winning me over.
Josh hangs back on the patio while I approach Alicia. “I’m Emma.”
She smiles pleasantly. “Mr. Oryolov explained the situation to me on the phone. I’m just gonna spend fifty minutes with Josh, get to know him a little bit.” She pats me on the elbow. “You have nothing to worry about.”
I give her a shaky smile in return. “I wish it were that simple.”
“I understand that you feel the onus of responsibility—but trust me, Emma: the hardest thing you can do as a parent is ask for help. No person is an island.”
That actually does make me feel a little better. It also makes me hopeful that Dr. Alicia can help Josh. She walks over and introduces herself to him and I eavesdrop as she spends a few minutes asking him easy questions.
How old are you? What do you like to read? You play basketball? What team do you like?
After a while, Josh’s shoulders have relaxed considerably and he’s actually talking animatedly about the basketball team he played on last season.
She’s good.I shouldn’t be surprised. Ruslan would have made sure to enlist only the very best. I wonder bitterly how long her vetting process took.
When she signals to me that they’re ready, I direct Dr. Alicia and Josh to the room on the ground floor that’s been dedicated as his therapy room. Then I spend the next fifty minutes sitting by the pool, picking at my nails and trying to let the girls distract me.
Please let it go well. Please let it go well. Please let it—
“Aunt Emma, Joshie’s waving for you,” Caroline informs me.
I jerk out of the pool chair and rush inside where Josh and Alicia are waiting for me. I study Josh’s face for any signs of a mental breakdown. But all I see is an easy smile.
“Can I go swim now, Auntie Em?” he asks eagerly.
“Of course, honey. Have fun.”
He high-fives Dr. Alicia goodbye and runs outside to join his sisters. “How’d it go?” I ask the moment he’s out of earshot.
“He’s a wonderful kid, Emma. You’ve done a great job.”
I cringe nervously. “You don’t have to cushion it for me. Just tell me straight: how badly have I screwed him up?”
She raises her eyebrows. Then she puts her hand on my shoulder and looks me in the eye. “He’s a strong and resilient boy. He does struggle with anger and resentment, but that’s aimed squarely on his parents, mostly at his father. None of it is for you or Mr. Oryolov. In fact, as far as I can see based on that first session, the two of you are his heroes.”
Those words are a balm for my soul. It’s enough to make me want to throw my arms around the doctor and kiss her. If it weren’t totally inappropriate, I’d freaking do it.
“Really? You’re not just screwing with me?”
She nods. “He may be only eight, but he’s one of the most observant, most aware kids I’ve ever met. He knows exactly how much you’ve sacrificed to take care of him and his sisters. He’s also extremely grateful to Ruslan for taking all of you in and giving you a home. It seems that, for the first time in a while, he feels safe.”
