January Part 2
Augie leaned against the doorjamb and sighed, startling Emma out of her grading trance. She'd lost herself for hours trying to get ahead before the new semester hit its stride. He waved awkwardly, which enticed her to offer him an anemic smile. They hadn't spoken in close to two weeks, and the last time they had exploded into an argument where they tossed blame back and forth like a live grenade neither wanted to hold.
"Is this a bad time?" He looked like the sad teen that he had been the day that Emma met him.
"No. It's fine." She dropped her red pen down onto the stack of graded papers. "I guess it's time for that conversation, isn't it?" Part of her feared that he'd decided to leave.
August dropped his long, lean body into the chair across from her. Putting his elbows on the table, he patted out an odd rhythm with his hands then shifted in his seat. "I think I owe you an apology."
She stared at him, open-mouthed, stunned. This was not what she'd expected. Her silence raised his tension level. Nervously, he continued to play an incomprehensible beat and turned his eyes on his sister.
"You think?" The snap-in her tone made it evident that she considered the words long overdue.
"I didn't think Dani would behave like that. I know that she complained a lot about Regina. I had every reason to believe what she said was true. I mean, they were kids, right?"
Emma scoffed but didn't respond.
"I am so sorry. I didn't consider that Dani could be lying." He scratched at his beard nervously." It was easier to believe her side without asking if it was true." He shrugged. "Christie agreed with a lot of what Dani said. I just assumed that Regina had given you an exaggerated sob story."
"You are an idiot." Emma rolled her eyes. "Brother, you had better start thinking with your big brain and not your little one because that isn't an excuse." She glared at him sternly, almost like a mother would. "You know what everyone says about assuming things, right?"
He ignored the snarky response and continued, "I mean, think of how many bad things people say about their exes. It's normal, right? l. So, imagine my surprise that everything Regina said was true?" He moved his arms wildly, trying to emphasize his point.
"First, none of you are in high school, so it shouldn't be that common. Second, Regina didn't tell you very much about her relationship with Dani. She kept quiet." Emma glared at her brother, her jaw flexed as she restrained her tongue.
"Christie and Dani owe her so many apologies."
She offered him another eye roll and crossed her arms. "You think?"
"I know Christie wants to make it up to her; she really does. And, I know Dani's behavior completely changed how Christie saw Regina."
"Christie's a little late to the parade. She should've felt that way a very long time ago. But, that isn't for me to judge." Emma paused to gather her thoughts by taking a sip of her cold coffee. "But, what about you? Have you figured out that my girlfriend is a very honest adult who doesn't go around bad-mouthing people? She doesn't gossip. If she says something negative, the person earned it," she huffed, biting down her anger at his immaturity.
He rubbed nervously at a water stain on the table. His eyes lost focus as he reached a conclusion he didn't want to ponder too long. "I know. Dani owes the biggest apology to both of you, but especially to Regina. But, Dani-- I don't know.-- I'm scared for her." He paused, letting the weight of his thoughts sink into his words. "I think that she's gone off the deep end. She hasn't responded to a phone call or text in weeks. She hasn't been to her house. Her car still sits out front. I tried calling the cops and the hospital, but since I'm not technically family, they can't give me any information. I tried contacting her family, but none of the numbers I had are accurate. She gave me fake numbers for her parents. Who does that? "
Emma sighed again, knowing that her next words had as much chance of starting World War III as they did of being honestly answered. "Dani has been seeing you for months. This can't be the first indication that something was wrong. Had you two never considered she might have a substance abuse problem?"
His eyes grew cold for a moment before his shoulders hunched. "No. I've asked myself why I didn't see it many times already. The only answer is that I think I didn't want to know."
"I'm sorry I fucked things up so badly."
Emma reached a hand across the table to grasp onto her brother. She squeezed his fingers. "You know I'm not the one you need to apologize to, right?"
"Yeah. That's true." Augie leaned back in his chair, looking like the Lost Boy he often was. "I'm afraid of what she might have gotten up to on New Year's Eve. Do you think she's in jail or maybe the hospital? Part of me really wants to just wash my hands of her, but I do love her. I'm not in love with her, but I could be someday-- when she figures out what the hell she wants." His exasperation with her glowed through for a moment. "That's the thing Christie and I've realized.; we do balance each other out, but it takes all three of us. And it feels like something's missing when Dani's not there. It's like a gaping wound. I don't know how to fix this."
"Dude, I don't know how to say this, but-- this isn't something that you can fix. Dani has to want to be better than this herself. It's her choice. You and Christie need to do what's best for you, which may be each other. And it may not be." She paused, rethinking what she had to say. Her gaze softened. "I don't know how to help you here. I can't say that I understand your relationship, but it isn't up to me. You're my brother, and I will love you either way. I don't have to understand your choice, but I do accept the ones you make." Her loving eyes begged him to hear and understand her words. "I just want you to be happy." She squeezed his hand again. "And, if I know Reging, I bet she still has Dani's parents' phone number. If she doesn't have it, I am certain one of the others does."
He blushed a little, unused to the open affection of his sister. "What did I ever do to deserve a sister like you? "he said. "You know, other than that one Christmas with Ingrid, this was the first holiday that I got to share with my family. Thank you for that. I know you and Regina didn't want to be here. And, I know it didn't go the way it should have. But, I can't tell you what it meant to me that you agreed to it anyway. Especially Regina, because she knew how it was going to go and she came. For you. For me. For us. "
Emma cleared her throat to erase the lingering tension out of her voice. "You're welcome. We were glad to be there; if you overlook the beginning, it was a pleasant evening. And, if you don't, I can say that I was glad to be there for you in a truly horrific moment in your life. But, you need to do better. You need to think and learn from the experience. We are much too old to be dealing with this crap anymore."
He nodded and sighed before standing. "I'm spending the night at Christie's, and I fly out in the morning. I put off this trip for a week because of Dani. My boss won't let me put it off any longer. I'll see you soon." He walked to her side of the table, hugged her, and left.
She watched him carry his bag out the front door. Part of her felt relieved he was leaving. Although she was thankful they cleared the air, she still had not entirely said her piece. She shook her head, dispelling the thought. 'I can't expect him to fix everything at once. He's an adult, but he's damaged too.' She picked up her phone and sent Regina another text.
ES: What's that therapist's name and number again?
*****
"Seriously, you are a pushover when it comes to your brother. If anyone else treated either of us this way, you would write them off for good." Regina teased. "I still can't believe you dodged him for a week to make him sweat it a little."
Emma sighed and flopped onto her bed, holding her cell to her ear. "Are you sure you don't want to come over tonight?"
She heard the other woman breathe while the inner debate raged. "We agreed that we needed to learn not to be codependent. We've been moving too fast. You know as well as I do that we spend nearly seven days a week together. That means I have to be able to face a big bed all by myself."
The blonde sighed and rubbed at her tired eyes. "Is this because of New Year's?"
A pensive silence filled the phone. "No. I don't think so. Not really." Regina's sheets rustled as she moved to get more comfortable. "That conversation reminded me about a promise I made to myself. When Dani destroyed me by taking everything, I promised myself that I would have to heal all my wounds before committing to another relationship. I couldn't be fair to someone else if my lack of trust and the specter of Dani's behavior loomed between us." She allowed Emma to absorb her words before she spoke again. "Seeing her this fall has made me realize how much she still affects how I see things. I need to work on that."
Emma hummed. Her fingers played with a stray curl. She closed her eyes, trying to envision Regina lying in the bed she knew so well. "I can see how that might be important. But, you know I've helped you with the Dani situation more than once."
"Yes, but I want to be able to help myself too." Regina's statement sounded more like a whine to both women.
Regina sucked her teeth in embarrassment. She swore she could see Emma's delighted eyes mocking her from the other side of the bed even though she knew the woman was several miles from her.
Once again, the blonde listened to the other woman beat her pillows into the correct fluffiness and move to quilt around. "Are you okay?" Uh
"This bed feels too big. It's cold and empty." Regina huffed. "This isn't how it should be."
Emma grinned at her girlfriend's petulant behavior. "How is it supposed to go? If it were easy, then us being together would mean nothing." The blonde paused. "Instead of telling you how amazingly comfortable my bed is when you are in it, or vice versa, maybe I should try to help. You know, I could distract you." Mischief danced in her eyes as she dropped her voice to a lower pitch. "I'm wearing my tank that's so old you can see my nipples glowing through the fabric. I washed it earlier, so it's tighter than normal."
"You aren't playing fair." The brunette husked, but the pout had left her lips.
"And, I didn't feel like having flannel wrapped around my body tonight; instead, I put on my tiny silky teal hip huggers."
"Ooo." Regina's flustered voice came through the phone. "I wouldn't mind a photograph since I'm missing the view."
"Nuh, uh. That's not how this works, Mills." Emma snapped at her. "Would you like to know what I'm doing now"? Her lips began to release little pants, then a whimper.
'I didn't know you intended it to be that kind of call." Regina's voice cracked.
Another whimper tickled her ears, but this time it sounded wounded, pained. "Emma? That didn't sound right. What's going on?"
"Joy killer! My hot water bottle isn't helping with my cramps as much as I'd like. And, the one who normally keeps me snuggly warm isn't here to do it. And, she's not here to rub my lower back for me either."
"Look who is pouting now." Regina teased. "So," She said in a much sexier voice. "What are you really wearing?'
Her phone vibrated, indicating a new picture had come through for download. She opened the attachment to find her girlfriend bundled up in her blue and pink plaid pajamas she had given the woman as a gift after August moved into her home.
"You, my love, are adorable."
"Thank you. My gorgeous girlfriend bought me these so my nympho brother and his girlfriends wouldn't see how incredibly sexy I am."
"Smart woman. She sounds like a wonderful person."
"You have no idea. There for a minute, I thought I might have to wear a flour sack, but no, she handled the situation beautifully--just like her." Emma yawned loudly, which destroyed the flirty mood that had developed. "I need to call it a night, but I miss you. And, I will miss you all night long." She sniffed the pillow next to hers. "But, my bed still smells like you."
Regina hummed. "I miss you too. I will see you at school. Get some rest. Can we have dinner tomorrow after my therapy session?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Goodnight, my love," Regina whispered, hearing Emma's breathing evening out; sleep was not far away.
*****
Regina stepped out of the shower, toweled off before putting on her makeup. Her phone chimed, alerting her to a message. She moved to the bedroom and located her clothes for the day. As she buttoned her blouse, she reached over and pushed play on her phone.
Hey, Reggie, Warning! Something is going on up here. I could hear Blanchard crying through her office door when I walked past it.
Regina snorted, thinking of their ridiculous boss who couldn't decide if she wanted to be a super conservative moralist or a homewrecker. She slipped on her shoes, returned to the bathroom to put on lipstick, and then snatched her phone off the bed on her way to grab her purse and briefcase.
Her phone vibrated in her hand, signaling a call.
"Emma, darling, I promise I was going to call as soon as I got to the car." In the background, she heard a loudspeaker announcing that breakfast service ended in ten minutes. Her brow furrowed. The school made no such announcements.
"Hello?" Regina froze. She could hear rapid breathing. Worried, she stopped by her front door and waited. The person on the other end sniffled. The small hairs on the back of Regina's neck stood at attention.
"Dani?"
She heard a sigh.
"Yes. It's me." A defensive sniff signaled the woman's discomfort with the situation. "I've been trying to work up the nerve to call for a few days now." Her voice sounded stilted and wound too tight.
Regina sucked her teeth and spoke. "Well, you've caught me on my way to work, so if the call gets quiet, it's just my phone transferring to Bluetooth. You have NOT endeared yourself to me of late." Regina snapped the words, then sighed." But, I am willing to listen for a few minutes. You have until I get to work to say whatever you have to say. I suggest you make it fast as I work 8 minutes from here."
"I'm fairly certain I haven't endeared myself to you at all, now or then." She paused. Regina could picture the woman searching for the words to begin. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have called. I don't know why I did. My counselor said I'd made it beyond the first two weeks and that it's time to start working through my damage to friends and family. He told me to call someone this morning, and well--my fingers dialed you out of reflex. I'm sorry."
"You are sorry for calling me." Her voice rose in agitation.
"No" Her voice lacked confidence. The pitch sounded like Dani; the tone sounded like a scared teenager. "That's not it at all." She blew out a heavy breath into the receiver. "I wanted to say I'm sorry for everything. Emma opened her home to me for an evening. Instead, I destroyed every bit of kindness. I don't remember all of it, but I do remember saying some--" she paused. Regina imagined the other woman chewing on her fingernails like she had done so many times in their youth. "I'm sorry I said all those awful things about you. You were never a bad lover. I hated how happy you seemed, and I wanted you to feel as hollow and empty as I do."
The brunette shook her head and wiped at angry tears welling in her eyes. Sitting in the school parking lot, she realized she didn't remember driving. Locking her front door was the last thing she consciously did. "That isn't fair, Dani. You've ruined every chance of happiness anyone has ever given you. And, I don't mean only me. I would strongly suggest calling Augie and Christie. They've both been beside themselves, trying to find you. Your mother hung up on her, and your father said he didn't talk to cheating cheap whores."
A loud silence filled the car.
"Dani, are you still there?" Regina wondered if she'd provided more information than the woman was ready to handle.
"Yes."
"Again, why did you call?" Regina waited for an honest answer. "You have two minutes before I end the call. I've been sitting in the teacher lot watching my colleagues enter rather than going in and getting started on what I need to do today."
Again, the woman blew out a heavy breath. "I don't know why this is so hard. I was hoping that you and Emma would come to visit me this weekend to apologize face-to-face. I'm at Shady Acres. It's an hour drive from there."
The brunette chewed her lower lip. "Shouldn't Christie and August be your first call?"
"I'm not ready for that. I've been clean and sober for 16 days. I am not ready for them or my parents. But, you and I--we have so much history, I thought starting with you might be easier. I know I would be digging up old wounds, but maybe it might help you too. And, maybe I can let go of some of the guilt."
Dani's profoundly honest response shook her to the core. "I won't make any promises for Emma. But, I will come. What time should I arrive?"
"Thank you! Anytime between ten and four. After that, we can't have visitors. But, if you or both of you are willing, I would like to schedule us for a one on one session with Dr. Frasier."
The teacher looked at the time and sighed exasperatedly. "I need to go. I'm not late yet, but I'm getting close to it. I will see you Saturday, noonish." Without waiting for Dani to drag it out any further, she pushed the end button on her phone. She wiped at her eyes once more, glanced around, checked her makeup for smudges in the rearview mirror, grabbed her things, and hurried toward the door.
Dr. Mills waved at a few students on the steps but avoided any conversation. She slipped in the side entrance to the front office. She signed in at the teacher log and then turned quickly toward the teacher mailboxes a little too fast. She collided with Mary Margaret knocking the woman back with her purse.
"Oh, I am so sorry!" Regina exclaimed, hating herself a little for not paying more attention to her situation.
But then her eyes landed on her teary-eyed boss. The woman's mascara ran down her face creating large craters in her cake makeup. With seeing the woman's condition, Regina's lips betrayed her. "Are you alright?" She regretted the words as soon as they spewed from her lips because of the woman's previous behavior.
Blanchard-Nolan's lips turned up, a small smile blossomed. "I can't believe you are still nice to me," she choked out.
"Um. Everyone deserves a second chance, right?" Dr. Mills offered an awkward shrug. She didn't have any sympathy for the woman in front of her, but she also didn't want to worsen the misstep she'd taken.
The principal's lower lip quivered, then she blurted out, "I'm pregnant." Suddenly realizing their location, she grabbed Regina by the hand and pulled her into her office. "I know they reassigned him as the principal to the alternative school, but I don't know what to do."
Regina's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline. Looking around nervously, she recognizes the purplish-pink package on Blanchard's desk. She lifted the box, checked its contents then held it up toward her boss. "Do you have the bag you bought it in?"
"Here." MM handed it over, looking confused. Regina placed the box inside and then tied the handles so that no one would open it. "Don't ever leave this sitting around. You've seen our rumor mill in action." Then, she sighed, looked at the clock, and faced the woman. "Well, I'm not an expert on such matters, but I would think having a doctor confirm your results might be my next step."
The bell rang, starting the school day. Both women knew students flooded in as soon as they could due to the cold weather.
"Right. Don't you think I should tell James?"
Regina shrugged. "He's a married man. What you choose to do at this point is up to you, but don't expect this to be easygoing or quiet. I would strongly suggest talking to your doctor first because there might not be a reason to speak to Shepherd. False positives do happen."
The principal calmed. "Thank you, Dr. Mills." She returned to her usual arrogant demeanor. "I hope I can count on your discretion."
"You can. But, I think you already knew that. Have a good day. I don't want to be late for the first period." Regina excused herself, fleeing from the room and a very confusing moment.
*****
Emma parked her yellow mustang in the visitor's lot at Shady Acres. She put in park and waited for Regina to quit chewing on her thumbnail. After a few minutes of sitting, Regina slowly turned her head to catch the blonde looking at her fondly.
"I appreciate that you drove me here, but you don't have to come in if you don't want to do this." Regina's matter-of-fact tone belied the fact that the night before, she'd told the blonde she needed her there.
A single pale eyebrow arched. "You can't seriously believe I would expect you to walk into this facility and face your worst memories alone. The only way I'm not walking in with you is if you tell me you don't want me here."
Panic-stricken, Regina's fingers danced in her lap. "No. I need you here. Definitely."
"Are you ready for this?" Emma reached across the console and squeezed her girlfriend's wrist.
Enjoying the support, Regina hummed. "No. But, I'd rather get it over with than sit out here and stew." She huffed. "Dani said noonish, but they moved the appointment to one. That gives us fifteen minutes to get checked before time."
Emma nodded. "You haven't given her enough time to run you off before you have a chance to speak with the therapist. It's a good plan."
"Right. Let's do this."
At the secure entrance, Regina and Emma submitted to a cursory search of their bodies. For once, Regina chose to leave her purse in the car rather than deal with keeping up with her things.
"Gina?" Dani, looking wan and frightened, leaned against the wall. Looking like the teen from Regina's memory, she flew forward to hug the woman.
Regina's outstretched flat palm showed her ex-girlfriend that she wasn't willing for the other woman to touch her.
All three stood in awkward silence until the brunette broke through the growing tension. "Daniella," Regina finally said, trailing her eyes across the woman's scrubs. "Why aren't you wearing clothes?"
The older blonde shrugged. "Not here." Her eyes shifted to other people not far from them. "We can discuss that with the doc." She motioned with her hand. "He's waiting for us already. I hope you don't mind."
Emma rolled her eyes because clearly, the woman didn't care if they minded; she wanted a mediator from the start.
She led them in a convoluted path down a series of brightly lit hospital corridors. She opened a glass-paned door and held it for the two visitors. A man with sparse gray hair growing on his head and ears sat waiting in a cardigan sweater instead of his suit jacket. "Welcome. I am glad you could make it. Something about how he looked them over made both the women question why he appeared surprised at their arrival.
"Have either of you visited someone in rehab before?"
"No," Regina replied, knowing Emma would say the same.
"This process is to help both parties heal from old wounds—the ones inflicted by disease and self-abuse that bleeds over into our other relationships. Dani's cocaine and alcohol abuse destroyed every connection she's had to other people. You two are the first willing to attempt reconciliation."
Emma scoffed. "That's only because she hasn't contacted Christie or August. Both would be here minutes after the phone rang." She looked over at the woman chewing her nails. Dani flicked the hair back from her eyes and fidgetted, looking unhappy and scared. "Don't worry. We have not said a word, but you should know that both of them would give anything to be here for you."
No one addressed Emma's outburst, but Dani no longer looked as defeated. The therapist began to give directions. "Ladies, if you can come over here and sit." Regina sat in the chair located on the red square marked on the tile floor. Emma took the seat next to her." Dani, do you have a preference as to which one we start with today?"
Dani's eyes widened. "Umm. Can we start with Emma? I'd prefer to start with her. We have minimal history. She's less intimidating."
The doctor's lips twitched into an apologetic grin. "Do you mind switching seats? The red square marks the 'hot seat' as it were?"
Regina and Emma switched chairs while Dani slipped into the metal chair across from Emma.
"Alright, Emma, I want you to start by saying Dani when you use drugs or drink, I feel--"
"Dani, when you use drugs or drink, I feel pissed off because you mistreat everyone around you. You make it hard to like you. And, from what I see from Augie and Christie, I am fairly certain that you make it almost impossible to love you."
The harshness of her words tore through the woman in front of her. Dani shrunk in her chair, saying nothing. Her eyes occasionally flicked over to the doctor before returning to the floor.
"Dani, you need to look Emma in the eye, to absorb what she says; you need to own it so that both of you can move forward."
Dani's lower lip quivered, and she nodded. "Right." Her eyes grew glassy as violet-blue met vibrant green. "I'm sorry," she croaked.
"Dani--it's Emma's turn now. You will have a chance, but you need to let her talk first." Her blonde stringy hair shook as she nodded wearily.
"Emma, tell us why you feel that way."
Emma reached over to Regina and intertwined their fingers. "I have only known Dani for about a year. In that time, I've seen her stalk Regina, insult, ridicule, and publicly mock her. She's shown up to our school intoxicated. She tried to come between Regina and her friends. She tried to make me not want to date her. But, in the fall, I finally got to see a little of the woman that Regina used to love. One Saturday morning, Regina wasn't there, and Augie was asleep. Dani and I spent the morning together, and we talked for hours. I discovered she's warm and kind. In that brief moment, I felt better about August's relationship with her."
"Do you believe she can do better?"
Emma sighed. Her eyes met Dani's again. "I think she can be anything she wants, but she's going to have to change." She swallowed harshly as her eyes filled with water. "Augie and Regina are the only family I have. So, please understand you could easily destroy every single person I hold dear. But, I can also see the woman you want to be. You have such potential. You have a big heart, yet you let no one see it. When you are drunk, you are moody and quick to anger. You attack people verbally. And, then we had New Year's Eve--you were vicious. Do you have any idea how many people you hurt? I mean, yes, I found it embarrassing that you flirted shamelessly with me. But, then you--do you remember what you said to Regina or about her?" Emma's curls bounced with her shaking head. Her lips mashed together in a hard, tight white line. Her voice cracked as she spoke. "She's fought so hard to get herself back in order, to find her ego that you abused for a decade. And, you said all that shit to her. I am willing to give you a chance. One. if Regina wants to offer you the opportunity to be friends. But, if she doesn't want it, then I am not going to sit by and let you mistreat my family."
Dani hid behind her hands as she sobbed. "Give me a minute. I'm ugly crier," she mumbled.
"Dani, stand up."
She immediately followed Emma's order. Emma stood and hugged the other woman while tears raced down her face. "I don't deserve this."
"True. But, everyone starts somewhere."
A few seconds later, Regina slipped her arms around both of them. "Emma's right. This is step one. I have to give you credit for that, so you should too." They held on tightly as she let out her emotions.
"Are you ready to try with Regina?"
The skin around Dani's eyes already glowed red from her constant wiping. She nodded briefly.
"Do I get to start with my apology first, or does she speak first?"
The doc's half-smirk answered for him. She grew smaller again.
"Dani, when you drink and do drugs, I feel dead." She swallowed.
Startled out of her fear, Dani sucked in a monstrous breath of air. Her lips moved. The doctor's raised hand stopped the words in her throat.
Regina continued facing her ex-girlfriend in an attempt at openness. "At first, a wave of uselessness washed over me; then it receded into feeling worthless. I became a shell of a person chasing after any affection you were willing to give. We lived that scenario on repeat, starting around our senior year in high school. We pretended our relationship matured, but it didn't, and if I am candid, I am not sure we did as people either."
The brunette shrugged off the confused look of the woman in front of her. "If you remember, I tried for years to get you to quit drinking. I tried for years for you to care enough about me to put me first." She paused and admired Dani's face. She tilted her head to the side and gave the woman a shy smile. "In a way, I should thank you for the worst day of my life. Mal drove me home from the airport, and I literally ran up the stairs to find you and what I discovered is that while I was gone, you had stolen most of my furniture and left my clothes sitting on the floor in the closet. If Mal and Ursula hadn't pushed me to get better, I can't promise that I wouldn't have killed myself. They stepped up to care for me when you chose to be cruel over and over. It took me a long time before I could look at myself in the mirror again and not see myself as that unfit lover that you left behind you. But, I did find myself. And, I did learn to live again. Slowly. But, I did it. I wouldn't have if you didn't shatter my heart into billions of little pieces."
Her ex-girlfriend began rocking in her chair with her arms wrapped around her middle in a sad attempt at self-soothing. She no longer wiped at the angry streams rolling down her ching. "Now, I have someone who puts me first and loves me for me. I don't have to try to be sexier than everyone else or smarter or better. I am enough." Regina's lips curled upward in delight as she looked over at Emma. "She accepts me as is. At one time, I blamed you for all my self-esteem issues. Then, I remembered all those times you broke up with me. In your way, you tried to warn me off--we both know I refused to listen." Dani had begun to make sobs that sounded more like hiccups. "I have to own that. But, how you treat everyone--and I do mean everyone--is horrible. We are people. We live and breathe. And, we bleed. You steal that from us with what you do. Emma and I have agreed to stop drinking. We aren't going to keep alcohol in our houses. We may choose to have a glass of wine if we go out for dinner, but for the most part, we are removing it from our lives in the hope that you will choose to do the same. We want it to be easier for you to be around."
Dani gaped in wonder. "The two of you want me around. How could you?"
Regina shrugged. "I am not in love with you anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't love you. It hurts me to see what you do to yourself. We all feel that way. We want to support you, but you are the one who has to do the work. Call Christie and August. They miss you so much. They've been so worried and terrified. I've held my tongue since your call, but when we leave today, I am going to tell them the truth. Whether you invite them to see you will be up to you, but it isn't fair to them not to let them know you are okay. They called the police and the hospital, both of which didn't help them much. August knows you gave him a fake number for your parents. Christie called them. Why didn't you tell anyone they had completely disowned you?"
Dani shrugged. "It was my fault. I ruin everything I touch."
"No, you don't. You give up when things get hard."
The two women faced each other sitting in silence. Emma and the doctor stayed quiet, watching the two mend each other little by little.
"Do you want to tell about other occasions that Dani broke a promise to you?" the doctor asked.
Regina shook her head. "I could list off everything she's ever done, but I don't need to do that. She knows she made a lot of mistakes. I think she is carrying enough guilt as it is, don't you?"
"Then I think this session can end."
Regina shook her head no. "No, I have one last thing I need to say. Emma and I discussed this all the way here. I know your parents cut you out of their lives. We want you to know that while you are here, if you need clothes, books, or even company, just call either of us. We will show up for you. I know you have August and Christie. And, I know you think you are unlovable right now. But, they are dying to hear from you. We are offering our help until you feel ready to talk to them."
Dani wiped at her tears. "Thank you." Her hands shook terribly as she fought to control her breathing. "You are the second person who gave me assistance when I didn't deserve it. Long story short, my boss rescinded his decision to fire me if I would check myself in here since I called him for advice. I know he had to clean himself up years ago, so I thought he might be understanding. I will take a pay cut and a demotion, but I am still employed. I still have insurance. My life isn't over."
Everyone sat in relieved silence for a few minutes.
"Well, I think that session was successful. Let's call it a day." Dr. Frasier stood, straightened his cardigan, and carried his notes to his desk while the three women made their exit.