Page 32 of Hers to Hold
Kady.She was the regulator during the last attack in the bakery. She had spoken to him calmly, gotten him to focus on her voice and mantra.It’s okay. You’re home, soldier. You’re not in danger.He’d never gotten through a flashback so quickly in his life. “Tapping my arms.” Both that and naming things around him had equally helped in the past.No need to tell him about Kady’s method.
“Good.” Dr. Rafferty cast a quick glance over the rim of his reading glasses. “You’re face is flushed and you’re smiling.”
Wes had every reason to smile. Waking up from dreaming all night about Kady tended to put him in a good mood, followed by a day of thinking about her. “That’s not a bad thing, is it?”
“Oh no. It’s just an observation.”
Wes nodded, but kept his mouth shut. He wasn’t even supposed to be seeing Kady.What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.And it wasn’t hurting Wes either. But he had decided to take it slow, for both their sakes. He and Chastity had missed her after Kady left the picnic without barely eating. The two of them managed to be moody even after eating too many sweets.
Which meant he had to keep his budding relationship with Kady on slow burn until he could be sure his flashbacks were under control as was his moods.
“Any more episodes like the one in the bakery?” Dr. Rafferty asked.
“Um, nope.”
“Um?”
“I can still be a little jumpy at work, but not as bad as I was when I started. I’m pretty used to the construction noises now. Meditating midday has been helpful.”
“And you’re adjusting to life as a single father well, yes?”
Wes’s grin expanded. Chastity was the best thing about his life. His ex’s irresponsibility had truly been a blessing in disguise. “It’s easier than I thought. Working out the logistics with school and activities has been tough, but we’re working through it.”
“Ah, yes. Your daughter is in a summer session at her academy, correct?”
“Right.”
“And how have your feelings changed regarding her academic success? Or are they about the same.”
The academic books on the large bookcase behind Dr. Rafferty gave Wes pause. He was always a mediocre student. B’s and C’s. To have a daughter that learnedeverythingeasily, who could be whatever she wanted when she grew up; it had simultaneously sparked both pride and envy. Pride that Chastity didn’t inherit her smarts from him nor her mother.
But envy…
His own father was a college professor. The elder Solo was content for his granddaughter to be smart if his own son wasn’t. Wes chuckled. “Genius does skip a generation, doesn’t it?”
“I don’t think that’s been scientifically proven.”
“And if I was smart, I would’ve known that.”
“It’s a misunderstanding of genetic inheritance that is prevalent in our society. Unless you’ve studied the subject, you’re likely to repeat the colloquialism.”
“That makes me feel better,” he said dryly and then heaved a sigh.
“The effects of your father’s lack of encouragement over the years will be an ongoing struggle, but it can be overcome.”
“I suppose I’m still trying to work on my confidence.”
“It’s a common result of PTSD. You question your own abilities. The PTSD might’ve amplified what was beneath the surface but not really noticeable. You have to remember what you’ve accomplished and it’s not really about your daughter’s skills.”
Wes nodded. “I was a team lead in a hostile environment. I saved lives. I made more right calls than wrong ones. I’m not incapable.”
“Good. And the negative emotions you’re feeling will dissipate the more you counter them with positive thinking..”
Wes held his doctor’s gaze. “I love my daughter. I couldn’t be more proud.”
Dr. Rafferty offered a small smile. “I know you are. You must increase your belief in yourself.”
“I’ll do that.”
