Page 6 of Shane

“See you at the next game,” he laughs as he closes the door behind him.

I fall back on my bed, turn over, and scream into the pillow. There’s got to be a way I can still reverseParent Trap, this smug fucker and his mother out of my life.

I just have to figure it out.

kennedy

As I stepinto Dr. Demetria Torres' office, the cool, serene atmosphere contrasts sharply with the chaotic emotions I've been wrestling with. The faint aroma of lavender fills the air, offering a subtle promise of calm although I’m not sure that shit really works, but I’m willing to try anything at this point.

With her kind eyes and calming demeanor, Dr. Torres greets me with a warm smile. She’s been my therapist ever since my senior year of high school. Back then, the visits were mandatory, a requirement of my parents if they were going to entertain the possibility of me moving across the country for college. Now, the sessions are far and few between and always virtual now that I attend school in Nevada, but today, she’s made an exception and fit me in since I’m in town. Today, I need this more than I think I’ve ever needed her guidance before.

“Kennedy, it's been a while," she says as she motions for me to sit on the plush sofa.

"Yes, it has.”

I sit in the same spot on the sofa that I always did, in the right-hand corner, by the green velvet pillow.

“You look good, Kennedy. I love the skirt.”

“Thank you.”

We sit quietly for a moment. It’s how Dr. D starts every session, first with pleasantries, and then she waits.

I smile uncomfortably in the polite way I’ve been taught since childhood, but she still waits, crossing her legs, still wearing a soft smile.

“I appreciate you fitting me in today,” I finally say. “I fly back to Nevada next week.”

“I’m glad there was room in my schedule.”

“So… a lot has happened since my arrival home,” I tell her, my voice a mix of exhaustion and frustration. I take a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. "I don’t even know where to start."

"Why not start with what’s most pressing on your mind right now?" Dr. Torres suggests, her pen ready over her notepad.

My mind immediately jumps to Shane.

God help me, but it always jumps to him.

“It’s Shane... and his mom... and my dad. They’re getting married, and Shane... well.” I stop myself there, thinking of the kiss in my room. Imagining what he could have talked me into doing if he had pushed further. “I’m just so confused.”

Dr. Torres nods understandingly. “So your father’s relationship with his girlfriend has moved to the next step.”

“Yes, completely blindsiding me!”

I’ve talked to Dr. Torres over the last two years about many things, including my parents’ divorce. She’s the one person who understands how I feel about it without passing any judgment. Well, I guess not passing judgment is what she gets paid to do.

“They’ve been dating since your freshman year at VCU, correct?”

“Yes.”

“And your father never discussed the possibility of marrying his girlfriend with you?”

“Living with her, yes, but marriage? Never.”

“But you had an idea it was serious?”

“I admit I didn’t think so at first but now I see they are. They were going to move in with each other when I first found out about them but then changed their minds, so I thought there was a chance you know? Of the whole thing fizzling out.”

Dr. Torres doesn’t respond but quietly writes a few notes in her book.

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