Page 4 (1/2)

No, I was not ready to forgive my mother Not now, maybe not ever I just don’t want that to cost randmother Gran has always been there for ative aboutattitudes aboutour relationship The only reason I agreed to family therapy was to try to save my relationship with Gran

The cold wind that marked my sister’s presence blew my hair back from my face and made the fabric of the beach uraph "Do you remember this? It was your birthday"

The wind stilled, the air around oose bumps covered my flesh and my breath misted the air A hint of frost appeared on one corner of the photo A one Where to or why, I had no idea She’d be back eventually We were tied to each other until I could figure out a way to free her In thehere brooding was not going to s any better and would only ?" Gwen asked

Gwen Talbot is my psychiatrist She’s a trauma specialist I first worked with her when I was a kid, after the kidnapping I’ve gone back to seeing her because my life has overfloith trauma in the last few years Gwen’s the adh-end mental health and addiction treatment facility, so she has lies to fit e, beautiful space decorated in colors that h the wide bank of s: sand browns and the blue-greens of the ocean As I took in the view, I realized that there were stor on the far horizon Gwen’s suit was the saood with her silvering hair and olive coreat," I adhtmares, in part from what happened when I was a kid, in part fro with a bat, and more recently from an encounter with a demon who told me he’d see me in my dreams All of this makes sleep a very tricky proposition

"Did you have a priest coested?"

"Yep" Matty had been happy to do it In fact, he did such a good job that it stung me every ti dream catchers that had been decorated with crosses and sprayed with holy water: one in the bedroom doorway, in every , even on the mirror of my dresser It looked more than a little odd, but the demon hadn’t actually manifested in my dreams in the week since I’d installed them

"And has it helped?"

"It has," I answered "But I’ve been a little stressed out about the whole fa"

"Ah I see It’s reasonable to feel apprehensive under the circuoal is for you to be ready Is there so you?"

I looked from the s back to Gwen and seriously considered her question before answering "Not really"

"We could reschedule," she offered

"No point" I sighed "I’ to be ready I’ll just have to do it anyway"

Never one to let rew stern "That’s not quite true You don’t have to You have a choice, Celia You need to recognize that fact It is your decision to make Your mother’s therapist thinks this would be useful for her But I’m your doctor, my concern is you"

I smiled at her "Thanks I appreciate that" I did But it didn’t change anything No ht about et well, I needed to do this if I had any hope of salvaging ran And I wanted that, badly Not long ago, the terrorists had tried to kidnap her to use against h call to make me realize that we really needed to work on the issues standing between us before it was too late

I reached intoaround all day, setting theently onto the desk where Gwen could see them

Gwen looked at the pictures carefully She seemed more interested in the one from Ivy’s birthday, so I said, "That was taken about a week before Ivy died"

She nodded I watched as she gathered herself, preparing for soly innocuous question "Is that you in the background?" She pointed aforward so that I could get a clear view of the i her an odd look Gwen had to know that was e She knehat I’d looked like So shethe horse to water, as it were

I looked fro away

"Yes"