We're Gonna Go Through This Together

Chapter Twenty Three

The next morning, Linda woke up to the sound of an electric drill. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and noticed her husband wasn't sleeping next to her. She got up, grabbed her robe, and headed to the bathroom. She brushed her hair and teeth and went looking for the sound.
Linda discovered Danny drilling holes into the front door. She stood behind him with her arms crossed, "What're you doing?"
"Putting sturdier locks on all the windows and doors."
"Why?"
"Cause somebody broke in here yesterday, Linda. They coulda hurt you." He turned around and pointed a screwdriver at her, "this place will be a fortress."
"You didn't put bars on the windows, did ya?"
"No, I'm not that paranoid."
Linda knelt down next to Danny and put her hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to do this, you know. I'm here, and I'm safe. I'm not going anywhere."
"I know...."
"But?"
"Linda, when I heard you were kidnapped, that nearly killed me. But when I found out about what those perps did, I did die. And then when I saw you.... all tied up like that... And when almost died in my arms..."
Linda blushed a stray tear off Danny's cheek, then planted a loving kiss on the cheek. "It's okay, Danny. It scared me, too. But I'm getting better. But I also think that you're hiding your feelings. I think it really scared you. I think you're living in fear that it'll happen again. Am I right?"
Danny looked over at his wife and sighed. "You know me way too well."
"So come to therapy with me-"
"Oh no. I've been to shrinks before. They all hate me."
"No they don't."
"Uh, yeah. They do. You know the precinct  still sends me to anger management?"
"And they've done wonders." Linda put her arm around Danny's shoulder as she sarcastically answered.
He smiled a little and kissed his wife. "You really want me to go?"
"I just don't want you to worry. Not to the point of paranoia, anyway. You're already paranoid as it is."
"I am not!"
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm not."
"You really are, Dad!" Sean's voice came from the other room.
Linda chuckled, "see?"
"Okay, fine. Maybe a little."
She smiled and kissed his cheek. Patting him on the back, she stood up and headed back upstairs.
When Linda was out of earshot, Danny mumbled under his breath, "am not."
"Are too!" Jack's voice came from the kitchen.
The detective laughed as he shook his head.
******
Danny had gone to about a dozen therapy sessions with Linda before the therapist deemed him "incurable".
"See? I told ya they all hate me." He told Linda as he drove her home.
She smiled and shook her head. "You're impossible."
"That's what the shrinks say."
She shook her head again and leaned over the council to give Danny's cheek a kiss. Things are definitely getting better....