Page 31 of The Last Session

“Sorry.” He held up his hands. “We can draw whatever you want, Dr. Thea.”

“Death.” Lonnie’s chin rested on his fist. “We avoid it, but it’s always there.”

“Death?” I echoed uncertainly. This didn’t feel like something Diane would approve of.

“How we think we’ll die?” Lydia blinked, waiting.

Then inspiration struck. “How about we draw what we think happensafterdeath? You know, heaven or…” I made myself say it. “Some people believe in reincarnation.”

“Yes.” Ace wagged a crayon towards me. “That one makes the most sense. Heaven and hell, they’re kind of silly, you know?”

“Speak for yourself.” Lydia bristled.

“Oh, what, you’re religious now?” Ace smirked.

“I’vealwaysbeen religious. Well, Catholic.”

“It’s a cult.” Lonnie scoffed. “They all are.”

“Whatever.” Lydia rolled her eyes. “It makes a lot more sense than reincarnation. What, every blond girl thinks she was Cleopatra? Come on.”

I rolled a crayon in my fingers as they continued to chatter. Lydia had a good point; it did seem like people who believed in reincarnation often claimed they’d been someone famous. It psychologically made sense too: to escape the finality of death, you could just return, over and over.

I’d had a brief period in college when I’d actively looked for spiritual answers. I’d taken a Religions of the World class, and though it had been interesting, I hadn’t felt any need to know more. Maybe religions really were just there to make us feel better about death. And, of course, for the authority figures to amass power and money.

When Catherine had brought up reincarnation, though, something had pulled at me. Some curiosity that she knew something I didn’t. Of course, it could’ve just been my ego, thrilled that she thought we were connected, however esoterically.

Lydia dumped out another box of crayons. “What the hell?” She held up a folded piece of paper. On the front, written in red crayon, it saidTHEA.

“Message for you.” Lydia started opening it.

I snatched it out of her hands.

“It’s from her, isn’t it?” Lydia’s eyes widened. Lonnie shook his head in disgust, while Ben and Ace watched with interest.

I backed away from the table, as if one of them might jump up and grab it. I should shove it in my pocket right now, but I couldn’t. I had to read it. Because I knew they were right; it was from her.

The thick crayon letters took up the whole page.

HI THEA, SORRY I DIDN’T GET TO SEE YOU BEFORE I LEFT. I MADE A MISTAKE AND NOW I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME. AND THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME BORROW YOUR PHONE TO LISTEN TO PODCASTS.

CATHERINE

“What does it say?” Ace asked.

“Nothing.” I refolded it and shoved it into my jeans.

“Hey!” Lydia cried. “You can’t do that!”

“It just said goodbye. Really. That’s it.” I forced a smile. “How’s everyone’s drawing going? Lonnie?”

Lonnie held up a picture of another naked woman.

“She’s dead,” he said helpfully.

The rest of the afternoon, all I could think about was the note. Had Catherine really written it? Or was it some kind of prank? The art therapy group had seemed genuinely surprised. Besides, the supplies cabinet was kept locked.

Whenhad Catherine written it? I vaguely remembered paper and crayons being on the conference table as she waited for her parents. If that was the case, she might’ve had the chance to write the note and slip it into the crayon box.

---