Page 120 of Billion Dollar Dispute

Chapter 36

Jemima

Standing on the sidewalkoutside a therapist’s office is daunting. I never thought I’d end up here, but here I am, ready to open up. My life has been a mess, and all I want is to get back in control.

I take a deep breath of cool air and open the door, walking straight up to the receptionist, trying to hide my nerves. She smiles at me, and I realize I was expecting this to be scarier than it actually is. “Hi, I'm checking in. Ms. Recaredo.”

“Can you fill this out and bring it back to me when you’re finished?” she asks, handing me a form.

I take the form and sit down, avoiding eye contact with anyone. Staying in the corner, I fill it out before returning it to her.

Ten minutes later, a woman with short burgundy hair, and bright blue eyes, calls my name. Her sincere smile puts me at ease. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.

“Hi, I’m Laura Martinez,” she says, extending her hand as I stand. Her grip is firm but gentle.

“Nice to meet you,” I reply, following her into her cozy office. The space is inviting with plants, warm lighting and a vanilla candle burning.

“Go ahead and make yourself comfortable,” Laura says, gesturing to the chair across from her as she takes a seat.

I sit down, smooth out my clothes, and fidget with my hands in my lap. Laura looks down and then meets my gaze with a reassuring smile. “What made you seek out therapy?” her tone is soft and gentle, as if she’s genuinely interested in hearing my story.

My mind races as I try to figure out where to start. Finally, I take a deep breath and ease back into the chair and go for the truth.

“I can’t trust anyone,” I admit.

“Tell me why you struggle to trust others,” she asks.

“Every time I let someone get close to me, they hide things from me.”

“Explain that a little more.”

“Well, most recently, this guy kept something from me, saying it was to protect me.”

“Do you believe him?”

I picture his face as if he’s right in front of me, replaying his words and body language in my mind.

“Yes,” I sigh.

“Tell me about your relationship with him.”

“We were dating, but not anymore. I told him I need some space.”

Why is it so much easier to say this to her?

“I think it’s good that you’ve given yourself time. Setting boundaries is important.”

Then why does my chest feel this tight? When I see him, I want to fall into his arms. He’s shown me he can be there for me and Chad.

“He’s the first guy who feels like he’s more than just words, you know?”

She nods. “I hear that, but communication is important in relationships, especially when you’re facing hurdles.”

“So you think this is a setback?”

“Do you?” she counters.

Did I overreact to him helping me? Probably, but there’s just been so much pain. Losing my dad, job, Butch’s arrest, my mom being away and the apartment.

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