RC.

Ch5 ................ P

I sense that Lisa is cross with herself. She usually manages to cheer me up or help me find a solution.

T:"But enough about me, how about you? "We didn't get a chance to talk about it, but you looked put out the other day at Colin's concert, because of a letter..."

Lisa:"Oh..."

(I don't push it.)

T:"If you don't want to talk about it, no problem."

Lisa:"No, it's not that... "

Lisa sighs and wraps her arms around her shoulders as if she suddenly felt cold.

Lisa:"It's my father..."

T:"Your father ?"

Lisa:"Yeah ... A pretty murderous letter ..."

Lisa has a rather difficult family history. She told me she'd broken all ties when she moved to New York to start a new life.

She'd had a pretty intense affair with a teacher from uni when she was younger, and her father had cut her off for it. . .

Since then, she hadn't heard from her family, and she never tried to get in touch with them.

T:"Oh ... I'm sorry ..."

I put my hand on hers and look at her sympathetically.

Lisa:"Don't be. My dad's an asshole and my mother never had the courage to go against him."

T:"What did the letter say?"

I watch her fiddle with the stem of her glass, a sad look in her eyes.

Lisa:"He found me through an acquaintance we have in common, he didn't say who, he always manages to make me feel anxious. . . . "

Lisa:"He wrote that I was really ungrateful, after all, he's done for me, to go off like that, without giving them any news."

Lisa:"He's the one who threw me out !!"

(I calm things down.)

T:"Maybe he'd like to see you again ...?"

Lisa:"Pff ... No way ... He's just found a way to spit out his poison!"

I sigh and look at her. She's really upset.

(I console her.)

I feel sorry for her. I know that when facing our demons, we sometimes just need a shoulder to lean on, without necessarily going into all the details ...

T:"I'm sorry Lisa ... How are you holding up?"

Lisa:"Let's just say that as far as I'm concerned he no longer exists, so I just pretend I never received the letter ..."

T:"I see ..."

T:"You should have talked to me before! You shouldn't have kept this to yourself, Lisa ...!"

Lisa:"I'm not going to bother you about everything ..."

T:"Rubbish, that's what friends are for, aren't they ?"

She smiles shyly.

Lisa:"Listen ... Let's not talk about that anymore. I don't want to make it more important than it is."

T:"Okay."

I take a look at the group of guys who keep looking in our direction.

T:"I don't know what's up with all these men, at the moment. There must be something in the air ..."

Lisa gives me a dubious look

T:"You know what, both Jake AND Mark asked me out for a drink."

Lisa:"Ha ha ha! Tayla the temptress!!"

T:"You must be joking!!"

T:"I had a good chat with Jake the other day. He's pretty cool ... And, pretty handsome too ..."

(I like Mark too.)

T:"Mark's kinda cute in his own way ..."

Lisa:"Look here, tender heart, you are going to have to decide!"

T:"That's the pot calling the kettle black!"

Lisa gives me a dirty look and sticks out her tongue.

I'm glad to see her mischievous look back on her face. I only hope that the stuff with her father won't affect her too much. In any case, I'll be there for her.