"What is this about?" McKenzie asked, sitting down in the chair across from her counselor, Hannah, who had a welcoming smile on her face. Technically, McKenzie should be calling Hannah "Ms. Gregorian", but the patient had always preferred a more casual approach to serious matters.
"Don't worry, dear, you aren't in trouble. We just need to have a few extra meetings since your depression may have... doubled now."
McKenzie normally told Hannah not to call her "dear" since they were nearly the same age, but today she ignored it, wanting to escape as soon as possible. "You mean postpartum?"
"Exactly."
"Well, no need because I'm just fine and dandy. Now if you'll excuse me -"
"Sit," demanded Hannah just as McKenzie began to lift her butt from her seat. She returned to her previous position, defeated, while Hannah's stern look turned back into a soft smile. "Have you been able to see little Gabrielle?"
"Tom has been skyping me every night just so that I can see her. Then he'll send pictures and videos during the day."
Hannah nodded slowly, her smile faltering slightly. "Now Tom is not this child's father, correct?"
"Correct."
"He just volunteered to do this?"
"Correct."
"That's very nice of him, don't you think. Not many men in their mid-twenties would want to undertake such a job."
"We've known each other for a long time and he said that it's the least he could do."
Now Hannah's smile disappeared. McKenzie tried not to look curious, but her facial muscles didn't seem to get the memo. Hannah took note and smiled once more, extending her hand while she did so.
"May I please have your phone?"
McKenzie took her phone out of her back pocket and handed it over. It was against facility policies to refuse what the counselor asked of the inpatient. Usually the requests seemed normal - "Will you please drink more water today?", "Would you spend more time relaxing than with friends?", "Can you keep a log of what you have eaten today?" - but this one seemed very odd. What could a counselor possibly want with her phone?
She watched as Hannah began to go through her things. Based on the motions of her fingers it seemed like she was going through pictures. Occasionally she would let out a little laugh. Probably a cute picture. For others her face would go straight. McKenzie didn't know what that reaction was for.
"Have you ever had depression before? Not just thinking you had a bad day, but an actual diagnosis."
McKenzie thought for a moment. "I did have a shrink back in high school - my senior year. She said I was depressed, but I don't know. I think I was just sad a lot."
"That sounds like depression to me. What made you seek help?"
"Well, I had a really bad break up at the end of the year..." McKenzie cut herself short. For some reason she knew it wouldn't be wise to go any father. She looked up at Hannah who didn't seem to be looking at anything anymore, but instead pressing things on the screen. McKenzie wanted to know what she was doing more than anything else at the moment.
"Bad breakup, huh? Who with? Long-term guy or just a bad experience with a short relationship."
"Long-term."
"Long-distance?" No response. Hannah looked up from the phone and smiled once more at McKenzie, extending her arm to return what wasn't hers. "Tom has been the cause of some serious trouble in your life hasn't he? He drove you into a depressive fit, came back into your life unexpectedly, ruined your marriage, put you in the midst of media scandal..."
"That wasn't his fault. All those things were caused by me."
"But he was there."
"So?"
Hannah tilted her head to the side, her smile still in place. "McKenzie, have you ever thought of your life without Tom?"
"I did for five years."
"And how were those five years?" No response again. "You prospered in those years, didn't you? You moved away from your family, started taking care of yourself no matter how hard it seemed at times, you began your career and made a global name for yourself. Then, this blast from the past comes back and suddenly everything falls apart. Ironic, isn't it?" McKenzie sat straight faced and silent, staring her counselor down. "Don't you miss those years?"
"No. Those years sucked." Her tone seemed harsh, like it could cut through Hannah's ears and make her bleed.
"I think, for your benefit, that you should... disengage from all contact with Tom."
"What?" McKenzie yelled. "What! I am not doing that! You can't make me do that!"
"I can actually. I just deleted his contact from your phone, restarted your email so that if he were in there he is no more, and blocked him on all forms of social media."
"You what?"
"You need to be in a better place and right now it seems like Tom only makes your life more stressful. You can't tell me you don't agree. Or do I need to restate your entire life's work while you were with him versus when you were without?"
"I can't leave him! I finally feel safe! He is taking care of my child!"
"That is the thing: you aren't safe. As long as you are with him you will keep running into trouble; you will keep being reminded of the sadness in your past and that you are currently fighting to get through."
"I'm not sad."
"You wouldn't be here if you weren't."
"Gabby. What about her? She's only two months old? What do I do about her?"
Hannah's smile widened, sensing that she was finally getting to McKenzie. The topic had changed which typically meant that she understood the reasoning being given. "Your second emergency contact has been notified. Ashley has joyously agreed to help."
"And what did you tell Tom?" McKenzie sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. "How did you or are you planning to get him to leave my home?"
"We contacted his manager. She will take care of everything from here. I believe she mentioned a few movie roles he needs to start preparing for anyways. This whole 'taking care of Gabby' thing wouldn't have worked out in the long run anyways because of that. He would have needed to leave this month no matter what."
Tom had never told her that, which made McKenzie unable to respond. It seemed weird to think that while she was in the facility, everyone else went along with their normal life. But what bothered her the most was that they hadn't even told her anything. Tom kept her updated on her baby, but not on his job. Ashley's last message had been about filming a new movie with Kellan Lutz. Obviously that had wrapped up. She told them all her updates. Why couldn't they tell her theirs?
"It's for the better, McKenzie. Trust me. You may go now if you would like."
For some reason, she didn't believe it would be for the better.
