He Saved Me

Chp 35

Mia's POV
     The session came to a halt when Daddy and I started to cry. Talking about the night of the incident made me feel so... broken. I hated talking about it. But I knew Daddy wanted to know. And I guess being in his arms while he gave me kisses, made the process easier. But I knew we weren't done yet. We were just getting started.
     During the break, one of the house staff members brought over some tea and snacks for us. There was an eerie silence in the room. Occasionally Daddy would ask me if I was okay. After a while, I was starting to grow impatient. "Daddy, can I watch TV?" I asked.
     "Why don't we go back into the session Mia? We're almost done I promise," Emily said.
     "After the session, we'll go to the movie theater. You're choice tonight okay? We can have popcorn," Daddy said with a smile.
     "And candy too?" I said pushing my luck.
     "Yes and candy too babygirl," said Daddy with a kiss to my forehead.
     "Ok then let's get started," Emily called out. "Do you remember what happened after your mom squeezed your neck?" she said slowly.
     "Not really..." I said
     "Nothing at all honey?" she asked. I was in no mood to think about the events of that night. I nodded my head no.
     "Well, how about how it started? Do you remember what made your mom so angry?" she asked.
     "I asked for more food," I said while playing with my fingers.
     "She hit you because you asked for more food??" Daddy asked shocked. I nodded my head yes. "Why would- God!" he exclaimed. He gathered himself before speaking up again."I'm sorry, please continue Emily." Daddy seemed agitated. I don't know if what I said made him angry or not. Emily quickly diverted my attention with another question.
     "What is the last thing you remember before waking up in the hospital?" she asked.
     "I remember my old dad finding me," I said.
     "Finding you? Were you hiding honey?" she asked. This woman asked so many questions!
     "No. My old mom locked me in the closet. I woke up and was crying because it was dark," I said shakily. I could feel the tears coming down my cheeks. I remember that darkness so vividly. I was scared out of my mind. "My old dad heard the cries and came rushing in. He picked me up and the next thing I remember is Daddy," I explained. Emily continued to write stuff down in her notebook, as she rubbed her temples. Daddy also looked very unhappy.
     "Did I say something wrong?" I asked noticing their irritation.
     "No babygirl! Not at all. You did nothing wrong. Not a single thing," Daddy said while rocking me and kissing my forehead. He wiped my tears and held me tight. "I love you so much Mia," he kept repeating.
     "You did so well today honey. I think we can end here for today. I'm really proud of you. And for that, you get to have this," Emily said as she pulled out a stuffed animal from her bag. It was a tiny elephant with a pink bow. "I hope you like it," she said with a smile. "Your Daddy told me how much you love stuffed animals." I took it from her hands, finally feeling happy after a gruesome therapy session.
     "What do you say Mia?" Daddy prompted.
     "Thank you. I love it," I said with a smile.
     "Baby why don't you go get your siblings for the movie? I'll be up soon ok?" Daddy said as he took me off his lap. I was happy to finally stop talking about that night. I ran up the stairs to bring everyone down for the movie.

Michael's POV
     "Well that was something," I said with a loud sigh. "Thank you for everything Emily. I really appreciate it. This is the most I ever got her to open up," I said. As happy as I was about finally getting some insight on Mia's past, I was just as upset about what her biological parents put her through. No kid should have to endure all that.
     "She's doing really well Michael. She's a strong girl. We'll help her heal don't worry," Emily said noticing the sadness on my face.
     "She is. But I worry for her," I confessed. "Sometimes she has these outbursts of pure anger, and I know where it stems from. That's all she's seen her whole life. I know how much energy it takes out of her. I know my baby is hurting, and I can't do anything about it," I said frustrated.
     "I won't lie to you and say everything will be fine right away. It will definitely take time. But you're doing the best you can. You're getting her professional help. You're teaching her the right way to behave and interact with others. But most importantly, you're giving her love Michael. That's not something she has ever truly experienced before. Don't beat yourself up. You're doing your best, and that's all that matters," she said reassuringly.
     "Thank you. I needed that," I chuckled.
     "I'm happy to help," she giggled. "Same time next week ok?"
     "Yes of course. Get home safe," I said as I show her out the door. Today has been pretty heavy on my heart. And if I'm feeling like this, I can't even imagine how Mia feels. Interrupting my thoughts, I heard footsteps running down the stairs. All 4 came running down. "Woah slow down!" I said as they all bumped into me. They're always excited for a movie night.
     "What movie are we watching today?" Blanket asked.
     "It's Mia's choice tonight," I answered as I held the front door open for everyone to exit. "What do you pick sweetheart?" Mia thought long and hard as we walked down to the movie theater. All of us were decked out in our pajamas, while Paris dragged her blanket along with her. This girl will be cozy to the max.
     "Mmm Cinderella!" Mia exclaimed. Prince and Blanket groaned. They hated watching princess movies. They were both very happy when Paris grew out of that phase.
     "Boys. Be nice. It's Mia's choice tonight. You will get your turn next time," I reprimanded. "Is that your final decision? Cinderella?" Mia nodded her head yes excitedly. She had the biggest grin on her face. I asked the staff to put it on, while we all picked out our snacks. The kids picked out buckets of popcorn and soda, and every candy known to man. God they're gonna be up all night! I guess I can let one night slide. God knows I needed this. I grabbed my bottle of hot sauce and made our way to our seats.
     After hours of Mia's favorite princess movie, it was time to head back to the house. I knew Prince and Blanket were utterly bored during the movie. I won't lie, I almost dozed off a few times myself. But Mia deserved a treat. And I had all my princess training from my Paris. A part of me was used to this, even missed it to be honest. Once Paris grew up, princesses and tea parties weren't her thing anymore. I'm glad I get to experience it again with Mia. No sarcasm :D