Chapter 8
"We don't laugh together anymore, we often don't manage to have dinner together, she kisses the cat when she comes home but not me.
On my birthday she surprised me, she came home at night and brought me a rose and said we would go on a trip to the lake the following weekend. When we did, it rained the whole time. We had nothing to say to each other. Nothing at all."
"Did you express your desire to your wife of wanting to be more intimate with her?"
"More intimate?" Rachel laughed scornfully.
"I can't even tell the last time we had sex. I think I remember snow falling outside the window."
"Chloe, you are very quiet. You haven't said anything since you sat down. Would you like to add something to what your wife said?
"Nope," Chloe uncrossed her arms, then crossed them again.
"I get the impression that you are rather skeptical. Am I correct?"
Chloe didn't answer. Her eyes fell on the certificate on the wall. This bitch had studied at the same university as Rachel. Sure, of course.
"Chloe, you seem distracted. I was just asking if there was a reason you didn't want to join the conversation this morning. Are you uncomfortable around me?"
Chloe turned her eyes away from the second certificate. She closed them for a moment. "Many years ago my father was killed in an accident. After that, I had discussions with several therapists. I didn't particularly enjoy that."
Chloe looked over at Rachel, who in turn was watching her closely.
"I see. However you came to talk to me today and I want to thank you both for it.
Let me ask you both this question: what is your ultimate goal? "
"What?" Chloe and Rachel both asked at the same time.
"What do you expect from our meetings?"
Chloe stared at the counselor. What the fuck?
"My wife just told you what the problem is, I am a monster and she is a saint who can no longer cope with my moodswings. So we hope you can fix me so that I am sickly nice in the future and sweet as sugar, so sweet that you get cancer from it. "
Rachel glared at Chloe but said nothing.
It was Chloe's idea to come here.
Off to a great start.
"Let me put it this way.
There are two reasons couples come to see me.
One is that a partner wants to end the relationship but doesn't know how."
Chloe and Rachel looked at each other, both of them cautious, somewhat alerted. The unspoken lingering.
"The second reason is, both partners are stuck and want to work on their relationship with each other to maintain their relationship and make it stronger."
Rachel and Chloe continued to stare at each other until the counselor interrupted them with a polite, discreet cough.
"Well? What do you think?"
Chloe cleared her throat.
"I love my wife. Above all. I don't want to leave her. I want to fix myself. I mean us, I mean... I- I screwed up, I ... I don't want to lose her. I don't want to lose you Rachel. Please.
I know you hate me right now and you have every reason to, but please ... please give me a chance.
Let's do this, together.
You- you're not leaving me, right? "
"Rachel?"
"No of course not."
"Well then," said the counselor, "then we have already agreed on an important goal. Let's start working towards it."