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"Hey, Aisha." I said with a smile on my face when I answered her call.
"Hey, Miko. I hope I'm not disturbing anything?"
"Nope." I assured. "You called at the perfect time."
"Great. I need a quick therapy session." she said, sighing heavily on the line.
With a worried countenance, I switched to video call, wanting to see Aisha's face as she explained what she needed. "What's wrong, Aisha?"
"Miko, I'm telling you this in full confidence. Not even a peep to Akim, okay?" she said, her face practically pleading for me to agree.
"Of course." I assured. "This is therapy, not a social call."
"It's Chi." she sighed, but said nothing else.
"Let me guess, he's not doing so well since you guys returned from Malawi?"
"Not at all." she said, eyes glossing over. "I know he's grieving. I know everyone reacts differently to death. I just wish..."
"You wish...?"
"I wish he could let me in. He keeps pretending to be okay but he's not and it's very obvious. He keeps isolating himself and working through his emotions behind closed doors. If he's even working through them."
"You don't think he is?"
Aisha shook her head, her eyes desperate for a solution to her problems. "There's so much pain in his eyes, Miko. So much. It's been months."
"Girl, you know you can't rush this."
"Of course." Aisha said hastily. "That's not what I meant. I just think he could really start healing if he just talked to someone about his grief. The self-isolation doesn't seem to be working. He's always been an advocate for surrounding yourself with people you can be open and honest with, yet when he has some things to open up about, he's clamming up. Surely that's not healthy?"
"It's not." I said. "Have you talked to him about it?"
"I have. He keeps saying 'I'm okay, baby girl. Don't worry about me.' I didn't know I married a liar. I'm even tired of asking."
"Okay, take a breath, girl." I said, giggling at Aisha's impersonation of her husband.
Aisha sighed again. "Why is it that he can't just tell me he's struggling? Is it that I haven't created enough of a safe space for him to feel comfortable coming to me with his problems? Am I a horrible wife?"
"Hey, no way. I doubt that's the case. Chi knows you love him and that he's safe with you." I said, trying to placate her before she made up more problematic assumptions.
