The Summer I Spent With You {L.H} ~ Book 2

Chapter One

The sound of my alarm disturbed me and I groaned loudly as I reached under the warm pillow to switch it off. There was nothing more I wanted to do than roll over in my warm bed and fall back asleep but I had to go to work. 

Another day, another dollar as they say.

I could hear my flatmate pottering about the apartment, banging cupboards as the low buzz of morning TV sounded through into my room. The sun shone through the blinds as I dragged myself out of bed and quickly began to get ready. After pulling myself together to at least look a little professional, I wandered out into the open plan living area where my flat made Gloria was sitting, chomping on a bowl of cereal and scrolling through her phone.

"Mornin'." She said not even looking up and I replied with the same. Gloria isn't rude, she just isn't a morning person. Gloria and I met whilst in our second year of University and have been living together ever since. She's actually really cool and has a great taste in music which is good for when we throw parties, and it also helps that we're like best friends.

I quickly gulped down some breakfast and pulled on my coat. It took me around twenty minutes to drive to work so I really needed to get going. "I'm going to my parent's for dinner tonight G, so I won't be back till late."

"Okay babe, see you later." I grabbed my bag and shut the door behind me, car keys in hand. Living in the city had actually done me the world of good. Gaining my degree had been the best thing I'd ever done and I'd gotten a new lease of life after leaving home. The only thing I missed was my little brother and my mother's home-cooking. 

After beating rush hour traffic, I finally managed to get into the office and sat down bang on 9AM for my first patient coming in. Working as a therapist was a difficult job but seeing the way people opened up and helping them through their problems was a really rewarding job.

"Morning Mila, Miss Hendrix is here to see you." One of the receptionists told me as she knocked on my already open office door.

"Great, I'm ready just send her in." I smiled and she left. A few moments later a teenage girl and her mother wandered in and I ushered them a seat. Kissing her daughter on the head, Mrs Hendrix left, shutting the door behind her, and we sat down opposite each other on two plush sofas.

"How are you today Lia?" I asked her as I opened up her case file and got comfortable where I was sitting.

"I'm actually good today." The young girl smiled at me. Lia was only fifteen yet her mind was so much older and wiser. Constantly ridiculed and bullied at school, she'd told me how she was the butt of every joke and the target of every arrow; my heart broke for her and for the millions of others who had to go through the same torment. "But I've still got to go to school afterwards." Her face dropped a little.

 As I worked through the session with Lia, I tried to remind her to stay positive. It's not an easy thing to do when she's crippled with anxiety and depression. The poor girl is so young and has her whole life ahead of her yet she wanted to end it because of the stupid, inconsiderate words of others. I wished I had a crystal ball to show her what would happen; how she would grow out of the nicknames they called her and how she would get away from them and carry on in life being happy. 

But anxiety and depression isn't as easy as that. 

It's worrying every moment of everyday if they're talking about you; that you're bothering people, and the constant feeling of sadness; for no real reason. You could be sitting on the sunniest beach, the waves crashing and music playing in the background in complete bliss yet still be depressed because that's just how it works. It takes over every single thing in your life and leaves you clinging to what you have left to be happy about.