Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
STAR "You guys go wait in the living room for a little while so I can talk to mommy real quick."
Dave told our three kids as I was getting ready to leave with them. I confusingly looked at Dave once they were all in the living room.
"Is everything okay?"
"Look, Star; I've been missing you. I'm sorry, for everything. For cheating, for me not being around enough and you losing feelings for me. You're my wife —"
"Ex wife."
"We're not legally divorced yet. I just wanna give stuff another try. To see if we can work things out. I know you said you lost love for me, but we can work on that. Every couple gets bored of each other after being together for a long ass time. Just please, let's work on it.. for us AND the kids."
Dave pulled me closer to him by my waist, pulling me into a kiss. I quickly pulled away and shook my head.
"I don't feel anything for you anymore, Dave. I'm sorry, as much as it hurts to say."
"So you really just gonna give up on us like that? Not even gonna try to fight for us?"
"There's nothing left to fight for, Dave. I gotta take the kids and go, they have school tomorrow and I have to go back to work." - - - - "It's very nice to meet you, Aidan. I'm glad you chose me as your therapist."
I informed my new patient whose name is Aidan Gray.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Aidan rolled his eyes and shook his head, sitting back in the chair that was in front of me.
"Whatever. I only started coming to therapy because my uncle threatened to throw me in jail if I didn't. I don't feel like I need this shit."
"Why does your uncle feel like you need therapy? If you don't mind me asking."
"He feels like I have too much anger issues."
"Are you an angry person?"
"I feel like I have every fucking right to be an angry person."
"And why do you say that? You're only sixteen. You shouldn't be so angry."
"My mother is a piece of shit who gave me up for adoption because she couldn't handle taking care of me. Which is bullshit, because I heard she has two other kids. You can take care of them but not me? Whatever. Then, my father is a fucking dead beat who chose drugs over me."
"I'm very sorry to hear that, Aidan. I really am. Do you have any clue who your siblings may be?"
"No fucking clue, I never met them. I don't really care to. I've been under my uncle's care since I was three years old. My life is just bullshit. Smoking weed is what keeps me sane. I'm even failing almost all of my classes in school. I'm on the verge of honestly dropping out."
Aidan shrugged. Suddenly, my phone began to ring. I looked at it, and it was Chris calling me. I looked up at Aidan.
"Do you mind if I just get this real quick? It's my boyfriend and it might be an emergency."
"Do whatever. I don't even wanna be here, anyways."
Aiden annoyingly shrugged and looked down at his fingers. I quickly picked up my phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Star. What are you up to? I have a lot to catch you up on."
"Can I call you back later on? I'm back at work, and I'm in the middle of a session with one of my new patients."
"Shit, my fault. Yeah, you can call me back later on."
"You're all good though, right?"
"I'm good. It's just something really big I have to catch you up on."
"I'll give you a call back after this session."
"Cool. I'll talk to you soon then."
Chris quickly hung up the phone. I put my phone back on my desk, looking back at Aiden.
"I apologize for that. That was unprofessional of me. Where were we?"
"You were making me talk about my shitty family."
"Oh, yes. So you don't know anything about your siblings?"
"Nope, not one little detail. I don't know if they're girls, boys, no clue. I just know they're obviously older than me. It's just bullshit how my mom gave me up, but raised them their whole lives."
"That's very messed up, and I'm sorry you had to go through that. But about school, I don't think you should drop out. It seems like you're already a junior in high school, so I feel like you should keep pushing until you graduate. Just try getting your grades up so you can move on. I know it's easier said than done, but I see potential in you. I feel like you can do it."
"It don't feel like no one has any faith in me anymore, like everyone has given up. Even my teachers are giving up on me. I feel like I'm just a failure. No one can deal with me."
"Don't say that, you're not a failure. Your uncle reached out to me because he believes that you can change, you just need a little guidance. I'm here to help you with that. Do you feel like you can change?"
"Maybe? I don't know. All I do know is that being angry all of the time is so damn exhausting. I just wanna be a regular happy sixteen year old. Is that too much to ask?"
"Definitely not, you deserve to be happy. I'll help you out if you agree to come to therapy, just once a week. If you feel like you need more, then just let me know. But I think you'll be okay with once a week."
I looked at Aidan. He slowly nodded and sighed, looking up at me.
