Oblivion

23| Semicolon

JOSEPHINE

Something lit up in Dr. Bradford's eyes as I finished the sentence, and he leaned back. A small smile appeared on his face. "Good."

I waited to see if he would say anything more, but it seemed to be all he wanted to say. I looked at him nervously while he continued to be silent and smiling at me. Embarrassed, I focused on something else and watched out the window. The silence was uncomfortable for me, as it always was when I wasn't alone, but at the same time, I noticed how I was starting to loosen my built-up tensions. Couldn't he say something? Or maybe he was angry because I was so harsh? "I'm sorry for my tone; I didn't mean it."

"Thank you for the apology,"Dr. Bradford began. "But it's not necessary. I don't feel hurt or attacked in any way. On the contrary, I think that of all the things you were willing to share with me, this was the most honest. By that, I don't mean that I have any doubt about your story; by no means. But it shows me something inside you that can and wants to fight, and I think that's very good."

Hope flared up in me, and even though I was already sitting upright, I sat up even straighter. "Does that mean you think I can be cured?"

His smile changed. It still looked honest, but different. "The way you put it, no. Therapy can support you on the path to healing, but you're the one who has to take this path. How far you get or want to get depends on you. I don't want to lie to you: it won't always be easy. There may be days when you will feel worse than you do now, and there will be days when you feel like you're not making any progress. That is normal and frustrating at the same time. If I understood correctly, you experienced things in the last six years that no one, especially no child, should experience. We will not be able to erase these years; they are and will always remain a part of you. To claim that everything has been processed within a few sessions would not be fair to you."

"You're not encouraging me," I whispered quietly, but I decided to pull myself together. He was just being honest, and if I was the same with myself, then I couldn't agree more. "Thanks for the honesty. What happens now?" I needed a plan, something to hold onto. Plans were good; they provided security.

"Should we bring Mr. Marini in for the rest of the conversation, or would you like to discuss this with me alone?" Dr. Bradford asked, and I thought about it. Either way, Vito would ask later what the conversation had resulted in. If not him, then certainly Domenico, and I wasn't prepared for that sort of interrogation. So, better to ask Vito.

"Should I get him?" I asked, and after Dr. Bradford nodded, I was already at the door, looking cautiously at Vito. "Would you come to us?" I asked him carefully, in case he was busy with something else.

Vito stood up and smiled at me as he walked the few steps toward us. 'So many smiles in one day,' I thought to myself. "Of course."

I scurried back to my spot. Dr. Bradford was setting up another chair, which he sat on, and Vito offered the other seat with a hand gesture. I let my gaze wander around the room again, glanced at the clock, and was shocked to see that we had been talking for almost an hour. In fact, I had spoken for an hour, which was even more unusual. Did he perhaps have other appointments?

"Josephine and I had the chance to get to know each other a little, and I would like to discuss what happens next. First of all, I have a request for you, Mr. Marini. Once you have custody of Josephine, you will have the right to inspect the files. I would appreciate it if you don't make use of that right. Josephine can and must have the certainty to speak freely in this room without having to consider potential reactions from others. An exception would, of course, be suicidal intentions. Are you okay with that?" Dr. Bradford began, and I felt great gratitude toward him.