HOME

Nine

SEBASTIAN

Aurelia skips down the hallway with Carlie towards the elevator. Diane was nice enough to keep an eye on Aurelia while I go to my appointment with Dr. Evangeline since Madelaine is still in Tennessee.

Today is my first appointment and I'm honestly a bit nervous.

Madelaine called me early this morning to let me know her Grandma is going downhill a lot faster than expected. She was trying to keep herself together but I knew by the sound of her voice she had already been crying. I wish so much I had just gone with her. Diane had offered to take Aurelia for a few days if the need arises so I will be talking to Madelaine about that later. I'm sure Aurelia would enjoy some extra time at Diane's anyway.

I quickly get ready and head to the car. Dr. Evangeline's office is only about 15 minutes from our building when traffic is busy. Today, the roads flow better than normal, so I make it there in about 10 minutes.

The receptionist is as nice as I remember and she instructs me to take a seat and wait for Dr. Evangeline to come call for me. I look around a bit and notice the kid's toys that usually are scattered around the floor are put away nicely in a basket next the wall. The magazines are all stacked nicely on the coffee table beside me.

Weird.

I guess no kids have been here yet.

"Mr. Stan! I'm ready for you." Dr. Evangeline says from her office door. I smile politely at her as I head towards her office.

The last time I was in her office was Aurelia's first appointment. She had been too scared to go in by herself, so I had to walk her in and sit by the door until she was occupied enough that I could slip out. I wonder what she's doing right now. Probably playing with dolls or coloring.

"How are you today?" Dr. Evangeline asks as I sit across from her in a leather chair.

"I'm good, thanks. How are you?" I ask, trying to make polite conversation so I don't have to focus on my nerves.

"I am great! Thank you. So, I think the best thing to do is just go ahead and dive right in!" She says with a bright smile.

I nod and look out the window next to me for a moment as I try to calm myself.

"So, tell me a little bit about yourself. I know the obvious, like the acting and your daughter. I want to know about how you spend your free time and any hobbies you may have." She says.

"Okay, well I spend a lot of my free time with Aurelia and Madelaine. I don't think I have a hobby. I spend a lot of time working and when I'm not working I try to prioritize my time with my daughter." I admit and for some reason I feel a bit embarrassed at the fact that I don't have hobbies.

"Would it be okay if I said that you consider spending time with your daughter a hobby?"

"That sounds fair." I say, unsure of why that matters.

"I would imagine that between spending time with your daughter and acting, you have little time to blow off any steam. Is that correct?" Dr. Evangeline asks as she adjusts in her chair, leaning forward a bit. Does she always have her shirt unbuttoned that far? Weird.

"If I have any steam to blow off, I usually do that in the gym or when training for a role." I say trying to keep my eyes anywhere but directly at her. I don't want to make her uncomfortable. Maybe she doesn't realize she missed a button.

"And, what about your acting? Are you currently working on a new role?"

"Not currently. I just finished up with one project and I wanted to spend time with my family before taking on anything new." I smile at her before looking away again.