Page 47 of Kiss Me Honey Hone

When he opened it, he blinked. “Heather?”

“Hi.” She smiled, all wide and lovely. Exactly who she was. “I was passing and thought I’d drop this back.” She held up his jacket. “You left it on Friday when you rushed out to your mum.”

“Right. Thanks.” Kenny took it. “Sorry I left in such a hurry.”

“That’s okay. I understand. Everything okay?”

“No.” Kenny laughed at himself. There was honesty for you.

“Have you got time for a coffee? I wanted to talk to you on Friday, but…” She bit her lip in hope. “It’s Alice and her therapy. I’ve a few concerns.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah…I’m sure it’s nothing. But Alice has said a few things about her session with Dr Riley and I don’t know if it’s…well, normal.”

“Right. Okay. Sure.” Kenny fumbled, then opened the door. “Come in. I just made coffee.”

“Great. Thanks.” She skipped inside.

“Go take a seat in the living room. Your usual?”

“Please. Really appreciate this.”

Kenny watched her make her way into the lounge before heading to the kitchen. He grabbed two mugs, his thoughts turning over her words. Heather didn’t panic easily. If she was worried about Alice’s therapy, it was worth paying attention. Especially ashehad been the one to source the therapist for Alice. The same one who was working through everything with Aaron. So if there was a problem, he needed to know it.

He carried the mugs into the living room, Heather already perched on the edge of the couch, fidgeting with the strap of herhandbag. “Here you go.” He set her coffee down and sat across from her on the coffee table to give her his full attention. “What’s on your mind?”

Heather took a sip, hesitating before speaking. “It’s probably silly. Alice has been working through a lot since… well, everything that happened. And Dr Riley’s been wonderful, really. But lately, Alice’s been saying things that sound…” She paused, searching for the right word. “…detached. Like she’s rehearsing lines or trying to say what she thinks people want to hear.”

Kenny frowned. “Detached how?”

“She mentioned something about ‘pushing through triggers’ but then made a joke about how it’s just like ignoring the voices in your head and pretending they’re not there.” Heather’s voice wavered. “It didn’t feel right. I’m worried she’s trying to minimise what she’s feeling, and I don’t know if that’s coming from her, or if it’s something happening in the sessions.”

“It’s not unusual for trauma survivors to mask their emotions or intellectualise their feelings. Sometimes it’s a defence mechanism, sometimes it’s a response to therapy techniques. But it’s worth discussing with Dr Riley. Maybe Alice is feeling pressured to make faster progress than she’s ready for?”

“That’s what I’m worried about.” Heather twisted the mug in her hands. “I don’t want her to think she has to ‘fix’ herself or rush through anything. I mean, she survived something horrific. Terrible. That has to take a long time to process, right?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

“And the voices in her head comment just made me uneasy. She’s never said anything like that before. Isn’t that…like, what crazy people say?”

Kenny leaned forward, trying to mask his twitching eye from the flippancy of the word ‘crazy’. “I know that term gets thrown around a lot, but it’s not helpful. Especially not for someone like Alice, who’s working through something as complex as trauma. Comments like hearing voices aren’t necessarily a sign ofanything more concerning. They can just be a way of trying to make sense of her emotions or experiences. Humour or exaggeration is often a shield. A way to cope with feelings that feel too big or overwhelming to express directly.”

“So…she’s not…going mad?”

“No. The fact she’s talking about it at all—even if it’s in a joking way—could actually be a good sign. It means she’s engaging with her therapy, even if it’s on her terms. But if it’s making you uneasy, that’s valid, and it’s worth bringing up with Dr Riley. The goal isn’t to rush Alice into being ‘okay.’ It’s meeting her where she is and making sure she feels safe in that process.”

Heather exhaled, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. “Thank you. I just… I needed to hear that it’s okay to ask questions.”

“Always.” Kenny smiled. “You’re her advocate. And if you want, I can speak with Dr Riley about it. Sometimes having a peer-to-peer discussion can shed light on things without putting Alice on the spot.”

“That would be amazing. If you think it won’t overstep?”

“Not at all. I’ll reach out tomorrow.”

“I don’t know what I did without you sometimes.” Heather edged forward, sliding a hand on his knee and squeezing.

Kenny tried to slip away from her touch without causing a scene, but the sound of a key crunching in his lock, the front door opening and a rapscallion voice booming through the walls worked better than his light approach ever would.

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