Page 80 of Quake

He spends the next couple of minutes going over those with me. “The most common side effect we see with these medications is sexual dysfunction. Now, some people would say that if they had to choose between not being depressed and having a quality sex life, they’d rather not have depression, but I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to choose. I find all too often that people gethelp, take these medications, and see tremendous improvements. But they also experience sexual side effects, and rather than saying something, they remain quiet. There’s no reason to do so though. Yes, it’s true that it can be very scary to find something that works for you and then potentially have to stop it and try something else because of a side effect that may not be hindering your well-beingtoodrastically, but thereareother options. And again, you may not experience these side effects at all. It doesn’t happen to everyone, but I just want you to be fully aware that if they do, just let me know, and we’ll try something else. Medicine has come such a long way in the last several decades. If you have any concerns at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out.”

I’m not exactly thrilled at the idea of my libido suddenly tanking, especially knowing that Lark felt so undesirable in her last relationship. But the fact that he’s making sure I know that it’s a possibility ahead of time makes me feel a lot better.

“I won’t. Seriously, thank you for going over all of that with me. I just have one last question before I let you go.”

He nods, urging me to go on. “How long does this sort of thing take to work?”

“It’s different for everyone, but typically, you’ll start to see an improvement in your mood after about two weeks, but it reaches its peak efficacy at around four to six weeks. So give it about a month or two and if you don’t see much improvement, we’ll try something else out. There’s no reason to suffer in silence,” he assures me.

There’s no reason to suffer insilence.

That’s something Lark has told me in her own way many times now, and I think I’m finally starting to understand the truth behind that statement.

“Thank you, Dr. Slader. I appreciate your time, and I look forward to following up next week,” I tell him sincerely.

“You’re very welcome, Gianni. It was great getting to meet you, and I’m excited to hear about your progress next week. Have a great rest of your day,” he tells me before ending the call.

Now that I’ve taken some time for myself, it’s time to show my girl just how dedicated I am toherhappiness.

Chapter forty-six

Gianni

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Lark has to work late tonight, so it’s the perfect day to finish my surprise for her.

Luckily, my mom has been seeing Lark’s best friend, Kira, for her hair ever since they first combined their book clubs. I was able to contact her about helping me with this plan for Lark.

Kira

She’s going to love it! I’ll text you when she’s on her way home from work.

You’re the best. Thanks.

Kira

Anything for Lark.

I enter the door code, heading in per Kira’sinstructions.

Rex pops his head up to glare at me but quickly curls back up on his bed sleepily. Kira said she was already over during her lunch break to take him on a walk, so he should be okay for a while.

I toss out her old flowers, replacing them with the new ones I got today before heading into the guest room.

The room is bare, with nothing but an easel, a single box of paints and brushes, and an air mattress in the center of the room, half deflated.

I make several trips to my car and back, bringing up all the supplies I got this morning. I may have gone a bit overboard, but there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make this woman smile. She deserves a space to relax and enjoy the things that bring her peace.

Kira said she prefers oil paints and watercolors but dabbles in a little of everything, so that’s what I got.Everything.

I have all the boxes stacked in the living room, bringing them in one by one as I unbox the furniture and build each piece. When I’m finished, two of the four walls are lined with interconnected shelving and tables to give her space for her projects to dry, a place to draw, and lots of room for her brushes and other supplies.

I insert the little organizers, separating everything by type and color, and then move on to the brushes. I place the canvases in their holders, with the largest ones in the back.

This is a rental, and while I’ll gladly replace the carpet before she leaves, I don’t want her to feel she needs to hold back in here.

After unrolling the massive paint splatter rug, I set up her easel, placing a small stool I painted with little red songbirds and pink and yellow flowers up the legs in front of the easel. I put the finishing touches on the room, setting up the hooks along the sidesof the furniture for her paint smocks to hang and plugging in the essential oil diffuser and Bluetooth speaker.

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