Page 30 of Releasing Reenie

“I’m so sorry this is making your life difficult.” She sniffed and palmed her cheek to sweep away the errant tear. “You shouldn’t have to make accommodations for anyone. I’m nothing but a pain in the ass.”

“This is exactly the reason we allow accommodations in the first place, Mira. And did your mother tell you that?”

She swallowed but didn’t answer.

“It’s not true.” My tone was stern. “You’ve never been a pain in the ass. You’ve never caused any trouble.” I held up a hand, stopping her before she could protest—even mentally.

“And I know you’re thinking I’m just saying that, or I just don’t know you well enough to know just how much trouble you are, but trust me, it’s not true. Your mind is messing with you, because I have no reason to lie and I have no obligation to help you, but I am.” I placed my hand on her arm and squeezed. “Because you deserve to be helped. You’re worth my time and effort.”

I looked at the calendar again, more determined than before. “Do you think you can concentrate during the surgery to do an exam?”

She nodded, looking hopeful even though tears were freely falling down her cheeks now. “I think so. I’ll be in the waiting room for a good portion of the day.”

“Can you video-call me?”

“Yeah, I can do that. I’ll use earbuds, and step outside as long as I’m not too far, the nurses can grab me if they need me.”

“Okay, I’ll give you a verbal exam then, so it won’t take as long. I’ll be able to garner your grasp of the material easily, even if you’re a little less articulate because of the stress. I have a teaching assistant who can watch the rest of the class do their exams and I’ll sit in my office with you.”

This was the last straw to her strength and she started bawling. I knew it was from relief, but it still made my chest ache. She started rambling her appreciation as she fell into my arms. I held her tight, rocking her in a way neither of our mothers had done with us.

“I haven’t slept since the night you punished me. I mean, a few fitful hours here and there, but that night was the only night I slept a solid seven hours and woke up feeling light and hopeful.”

“A punishment can do that,” I answered and she nodded against my shoulder.

“I’ve considered doing scenes with Doms in the Dungeon for stress release, but I don’t wanna explain what’s going on.” She sniffed and hiccupped. “And if they don’t know and I freak out or break down, I won’t be able to explain myself, you know? I need someone special who I can trust to watch for physical cues, but I don’t have a significant other.” She pulled back and her big blue eyes swung to mine.

“Mira, are you asking me to give you a stress-relief scene?”

She licked her bottom lip and looked away, so I took her chin between my finger and thumb and turned her head back to face me.

“Would that be weird or inappropriate or whatever?” She choked a little on the words, and I grabbed a tissue from a box on my desk and handed it to her.

“No, it’s not like I haven’t punished you as my student. But we can talk to Master Derek, make sure he knows what’s going on and approves.” I released her chin, tucking a loose blondetendril behind her ear. “I don’t know where we’d fit it in your schedule though.”

“Can we talk to him now? I know I should be studying for the exam but I can’t concentrate anyway.”

I nodded, ran a hand down her hair and pulled her back into a hug. “Let’s see if he’s available.”

Master Derek looked at the door, his eyes soft with concern. “That poor girl.”

“Master Holland and I have been on top of it, helping her to succeed, but when she asked me to scene with her because she hasn’t been sleeping, I thought we’d better come see you.”

“I would have liked to have been looped in sooner but you’re doing everything I’d do anyway, so no harm done.” Master Derek leaned forward onto his forearms. “I’m glad she told you everything. She made the right choice coming to you. Of all our professors, you’re the one I’d recommend in this situation. Your compassion far surpasses anyone’s I know.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

His eyes, serious and steady, held mine and he reached up to smooth his hand over his chin.

With his brow furrowing slightly, he said, “Can you handle this?”

My eyes widened in surprise. “What do you mean, Sir?”

“You seem as if you’ve got something on your mind as well.” He examined my face, scrutinizing every inch as if there were invisible words written there that only he could see. “Is there any reason you shouldn’t be taking this on?”

I thought about his words, about what he might mean. Did he have an inclination that I had dealt with a similar situation withmy own mother? Was my baggage so visible that even Master Derek could see it?

Baggage or not, I hadn’t been thinking of my mother or the trauma she left in her wake, not really. My focus had been on Mira, one hundred percent… I paused mid-thought.One hundred percent?

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