Page 16 of Where We Belong

“I—I don’t think you’re right.” I swallow hard.

“When you had this affair, what else happened? The marriage ended, clearly, and you feel like you’re shouldering some burden—”

“Oh no, they’re still together,” I cut him off, holding up a hand. “To stay married, she had to relinquish her parental rights. So, she’s not in my daughter’s life now.”

“Then what broke because of that affair?” He leans forward. He’s looking directly at the camera, at me. “You have yet to tell me what this relationship destroyed that shattered your world.”

“Why do you assume something broke?” I counter, defensive.

Am I upset at that fucking woman for dragging me into her little drama without warning? Of course. My entire life shifted, but I did get one wonderful thing out of all this, didn’t I? “That’s in the past, and I got Bernie,” I say firmly. But am I trying to convince him or myself?

He nods, glancing at his watch. “This is a great start. We’ll pick up here next session—there seems to be something underlying it all. Perhaps your father’s affair, or… how’s your parents’ marriage?”

I scoff bitterly. “They divorced. Neither one of them knows how to be faithful.”

“So, maybe we can unpack that next time,” he says, glancing to his left. “When would you like to schedule our next appointment?”

Tomorrow, in an hour? “How soon can you fit me into your schedule?”

He chuckles. “You think speaking to me for hours will give you an immediate answer, don’t you?”

I open my mouth and then close it because that’s exactly what I expected. Sure, I have problems, but I didn’t want him to drag this all the way back to my childhood and dysfunctional parents.

“We can book something as early as Thursday, or maybe Friday. That gives you plenty of time to think about this session,” he proposes.

“Thank you for this,” I say. I’m not sure if I should feel grateful or look for someone else.

None of what we discussed helped me with my current problem. I don’t know if I want to continue on this path, let things go, or… what is my other option?

Chapter Eight

Ben: So, did you make it back home?

Cory: Yeah, I’m in San Francisco.

Ben: When will you be back in Paradise Bay?

Cory: Soon. I still have a few days left of my vacation. I’m staying in the city to help Aslan and Keat with the quads.

Ben: I don’t envy them one bit. I still remember those nights when Heath and I woke up every three fucking hours to feed Bernie. I love my child, but it was exhausting.

Cory: If you had asked for help, I’m sure everyone would’ve pitched in during the first few months.

Ben: It was a strange period. I was thrilled to be her father, but there were too many changes. It made more sense to power through and focus on doing than reaching out to anyone to ask for help.

Cory: Heath helped you.

Ben: Mostly because he was my temporary roommate. He was also going through a big transition. He had just moved out of San Francisco, started a new fellowship, and lost Atzi.

Cory: Right. It was around the time when he fucked up his life because my mother manipulated him. I hate that woman.

Ben: Have you considered therapy?

Cory: Ha, no amount of therapy will make me forgive her. She killed my father. You do understand that’s not something you can get over, right?

Ben: But you can let go of the anger.

Cory: I’m not angry, just hopeful that she’s suffering half of what we children suffered because of her actions.

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