Page 109 of Everything She Feared

“These things can take time. We’ve had some bumps along the way but overall, she’s coming along.”

“Yes,” Sara said. “Well, the reason I wanted to talk is I need your help to understand something.”

“What is it?”

“This stays confidential like you said before, right?”

“Of course.”

Sara twisted the straps on her purse.

“This is hard for me.”

“Take your time.”

Sara withdrew Katie’s drawing book, flipped through it beyond the birds, the trees, butterflies and hand tracings. She stopped at the sketch titledThe Park.

“This is Katie’s sketchbook. She usually leaves it on her desk, but I found it hidden under her bed after she drew this one.”

Knitting her brow, Dr. Mehta took the book to her lap, put on her glasses and examined it.

“Katie drew this after Anna’s death?” Dr. Mehta asked.

“Yes. What does it mean?”

“Did you ask Katie about it?”

“I did. But she refuses to discuss it and was upset that I’d found it.”

Dr. Mehta weighed her thoughts. “May I take a photograph of the sketch?”

Sara hesitated.

“For my own reference,” Dr. Mehta said.

“Okay.”

Dr. Mehta used her phone to photograph the sketch, then leaned back in her chair, studying Katie’s drawing.

“What do you think it means?” Sara asked.

“It’s difficult to say off the top.”

“Does it look like, like Sara’s pushing Anna?”

“Not necessarily,” Dr. Mehta said. “She could be reaching to help. It could be any number of things.”

“Katie told me she’s been struggling with bad thoughts about Anna’s death.”

“Yes, she told me that as well.”

“Maybe the drawing’s related, some kind of confession, or cry for help?”

“Sara, don’t read too much into it. This sketch could be Katie’s crude depiction of what happened. Or it could be a manifestation of her trauma, an image reflecting a dream or a combination of things. It’s difficult to say without talking to her about it. Is she aware that you’ve brought this to me?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want me to raise it with her?”

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