Timing Is Everything

Chapter One~ Hayden.

Chapter One~ Hayden.

“WE’RE GETTING MARRIED!” Olivia screams.

“WHAT? OH MY GOSH!” I screech back. Thankfully, the office is empty.

“I KNOW! AHH!” Olivia continues.

“Tell me EVERYTHING,” I demand.

“Alright, hold on a sec.” I wait patiently, as I hear her shuffle around.

“I’m back,” she says, her voice slightly fuzzier.

I ask, “Am I on speaker?”

“Yeah, sorry. I’m making lunch.” She gives her breathless laugh. “Oh my gosh, Hayden, it was so romantic!” she gushes.

“I can’t agree with you if you don’t tell me what happened!” I remind her.

“Ok, ok. So what happened was…”

I switch my phone to my other ear, trying not to miss a bit of my best friend excitedly retelling her story, of how her boyfriend proposed to her. And it does sound super romantic. How could a catwalk leading to a gazebo lit up by a thousand twinkling lights not?

“…and then he kneels down and asks me to marry him!”

“Tell me you said yes,” I reply.

“Of course!” she says, shocked, too buried deep in happiness to detect the joking tone I had used.

“I’m kidding! You are so lucky, Vee,” I say with a sigh. It’s like Olivia and her now fiancé, Seth, were MADE for each other.

“Aww, don’t worry, Hayden! You’ll find your soul mate someday, too!” she assures me sweetly.

“Mhm,” I say doubtfully.

Suddenly, the timer on my phone goes off.

“Hey, my break is over, I gotta go,” I tell Olivia. “But I’ll come over this weekend! I want to help with the wedding. Bye!”

“Of course! Bye, Hayden.”

I hang up and put my phone back into my purse, while walking out the lounge. Or, I would’ve, if I hadn’t tripped. Thankfully, the door is there to handle my almost accident. That would’ve been a nasty bruise; the floor is cement.

I get several ‘hello waves’ as I walk down the hall.

“Hi, guys!” I greet everyone of them cheerfully.

I pause once I get to Room 17. Inside, the therapist should be finishing up anytime soon. Finally, the door opens and Susan walks out, a bit frazzled. I bite my bottom lip and raise an eyebrow hopefully.

“He was so lively yesterday! Now, nothing! I don’t know what’s wrong,” she says disappointedly. “Good luck.”

My shoulders slump and I take a deep breathe before walking in.

“Good afternoon, Cole,” I say softly, with a gentle smile on my face.

He looks at me, expressionlessly.

“How are you today?” I try again.

“Good.” That is his answer. It is so empty and dark that I almost cry.

“I see,” I say, struggling to hold the smile on my face. “So are you ready to begin?”

He takes out a textbook.

“Yeah.” There it is again. His lifeless, monotonous tone.

“Alright, let’s begin…” I start.