Not That Girl

The End Is Never The End...

10 years later:

Putting away my latest patient's file and locking the cabinet I smiled. A seventeen year old girl who'd been raped by her high school math teacher and was now agoraphobic, she's too scared to leave her house so I visit every week. I think it's finally helping her come to terms with what happened.

I'm a therapist specializing in physically and sexually abused youths with a charity fund directed at helping those who can't afford lawyers to defend them. I was lucky enough to come from a rich family but some young girls and guys don't have the financial support I had.

I married Michael at twenty five, that was four years ago, he designs the most amazing custom race cars along with Eric. Once the two of them got over their silly contest of trying to outdo the other all the time, I think they realized how alike they are. Not that they like it when I point out how stupid they were.

My father and I don't have a lot of contact but I still talk to Ryan all the time, he's a professor at Stanford. A teacher, I couldn't believe it at first, a rich kid who could've done anything and he wants became a teacher. My father almost cut him off, almost, but he didn't go through with it and I'm proud of Ryan for standing up for himself and doing something he loves. After all, his first student was Bella.

Speaking of, Bella moved in with Michael and I when she was ten which forced us to buy a house although it's nice owning a house... it's right near this huge racetrack and I go down there all the time. I'm so thankful Bella doesn't like racing, I get scared enough knowing Michael races but if my little sister was out there... nope, couldn't deal with that.

Bella's a typical sixteen year old, she can't survive without her cell phone and loves the Twilight vampires for some reason. My little sister's almost the opposite of me, she loves pink and cries for every romantic movie just like Emma. Bella loves to babysit Emma and William's little four year old daughter and relishes in the fact that she'll be an aunt in six months.

I'll be a mom in six months...

It's a frightening thought and Michael's acting like a toddler, he can't wait to have a little baby boy to play with, to teach to drive and play pranks on his mother. I'm not looking forward to my child learning to drive or getting it into his head that he can date. God... dating terrifies me, Bella wants to date and that's freaking me out like nothing ever has.

I have to say that even though I'm scared of Bella's desperation to date, Michael's racing and everything to do with my baby I'm so happy with the way my life is right now. My family means everything to me and I know I'll protect them till the ends of the earth.

My patients keep me busy and it's honestly the best feeling in the world when I see the looks on their faces as they realize there really is life after abuse, when they get back the feeling of self-confidence.

Life isn't always perfect or uncomplicated but to me it's all I could ever ask for.