Aiden Harper

Trauma counseling

Eden

Oliver visited me to counsel me about my trauma. Aiden left to give us privacy and would return after my session with Oliver.

I sat on the couch while Oliver sat in a chair across from me and fiddled with my fingers. "So, how does this work?"

"You can talk about whatever you want. But it would help if we talked about the attack."

I knitted my brows and creased my forehead.

"Eden, an attack is a traumatic experience. Most people avoid what happened, hoping it goes away. You can't start the healing process until you discuss it."

"I barely remember the attack. I have bits and pieces of what happened."

"That's normal after an attack."

"I remember opening the apartment door before something hard hit me in the face."

"And you remember who attacked you?"

I nodded. "The face was fuzzy, but I could make out Wayne's face."

"Has Wayne ever hit you before?"

"No. I couldn't understand why he attacked me." I shrugged. "Wayne confronted me at the cafe, but Aiden stopped him from touching me. Then, the police arrested Wayne. That's why I didn't think Wayne would attack me." I knitted my brows in confusion.

"Let's discuss why you visited the church a few weeks back."

"I've been struggling with Wayne's cheating after meeting with him to ask questions. He had cheated on me during the four years of our relationship. I couldn't understand what I did wrong for Wayne to cheat on me."

"Let me start by saying you did nothing wrong. Cheating is a choice. Most people will question themselves without placing blame on the offender. God stresses the condemnation of adultery throughout the Bible. It's one of the seven commandments. Most people who lack faith or lose their way will break a commandment. They turn away from God."

"Why would they turn away from God? It's not like God told them to break a commandment."

"Ah, that's an excellent question. Most people think God should give them what they want. When they don't get what they want, they lose faith. These same people claim there is no God because they want irrefutable proof of his existence. People fail to understand God shows us proof of his existence every day. You only need to open your eyes and look around."

I contemplated what Oliver said. "Do you think God led me to find my real father?"

"God puts people in place to guide you to find your real father by removing people from your life. Most people don't understand why they lose family and friends. God removes them because they serve no purpose on your journey. We all have a journey or path in life. God guides us through our journey. He will test your faith repeatedly to ensure you're following your path. The teacher is usually quiet during the test."

"You're much different from most ministers. Most won't explain everything like you did."

"I had excellent teachers during my journey."

"Who?"

"God and Uncle Nixon. Uncle Nixon would teach God's lessons to his congregation. He never judged people but showed them the truth. Most people avoid the truth like the plague. They don't want to deal with the outcome of people's reactions. It's easier to deal with the truth than a lie. Don't you think?"

That simple sentence was a gut punch. If my mom had told me the truth about my parentage, I could have handled it, but I couldn't deal with the lies. It made me question everything about myself.