Group Therapy

Chapter 3

Sang's P.O.V.

"Where are we going?," I beg Eli.

"I told you, it's a surprise," he says.

           "Not even a little hint?"

           "Nope," he keeps his eyes on the road, "I won't break this time."

          He knows I hate surprises. But, I've made him tell me every other one before, so I'll let him surprise me today.

When we pull up to an animal shelter, I can hardly contain my excitement. After he turns the car off, he turns to me. "We kept talking about getting a dog once we moved into the new place."

I hop out of the car and Eli follows suit. "So, how'd I do? Was this a good surprise?"

I throw my arms around him. "This is perfect."

We go in and see so many dogs that it's hard to keep up.

"This is so hard," I frown, "I want them all."

"I know, babe," he says before turning to the lady helping us. "What dog has been here the same longest?"

"That would be Angel," she says before leading us to a new cage. Inside is a beautiful blue nose Pitbull. "She's a year old. Total sweetheart, but a little timid. People just don't trust the breed as a whole, unfortunately."

       Eli and I decide to play with her for a little bit. We have to sit and wait for her to come for us. She slowly approaches us and sniffs around.

I slowly stick my hand out, so I don't freak her out. After sniffing it for a minute, she sticks her head under my hand and allows me to pet her.

       "What do you think?," Eli asks.

        "Let's bring her home."

North nudges my leg with his own, causing me to snap back to reality.

"Sang," Rebecca says, "Anything you want to talk about?"

       I take a deep breath to mentally prepare myself. "I've been thinking about why I've been so hesitant to speak here to you. And then I realized, it's because part of me doesn't want to feel better."

She tilts her head. "Why do you think that is?"

I twist my ring around my finger. "I know I have to stop being in pain every minute of the day, because I can't survive like this. But, if the pain stops, I can't survive that either because it means I've moved on. And if I move on, I'll lose him completely."

        "You are not the first person to feel this way. But let me tell you this, Eli's memory does not live in the pain of your grief. As cheesy as it sounds, his memory lives on in you and his other loved ones."

        Some of the other members of the group nod in agreement. However, I don't know if I'll survive long enough to see that day. I obviously don't say that out loud.