Reunion (The Monkees Family Vol. 3)

Chapter 33

Days, weeks and therapy sessions began to pile up. So did the nightmares. Jan finally just started regularly sleeping in Gabby's room with her to save on the jarring wakeups and hurried sprints to her bedside to drag her out of her imprisoning night terrors.

Nevertheless, Gabby felt she was making major progress in her waking existence. She was plowing through a lot of yuck, confronting suppressed memories and ingrained unhelpful crutches and coping mechanisms that she had adopted. She wasn't just focusing on what had happened with Nick at this point. She now had to contend with the twisted dance she and Davy had performed for the months when he had offered her sanctuary from what she supposed was the threat Micky's descent into addiction had posed, as well as the original sin as she now referred to it – the night she made the decision to sleep with Davy in the first place. The assault by Sharon had caused her more immediate and acute pain, but she actually was able to put it into perspective as a crime and a trigger to deeper, long-buried trauma.

Micky cheered for and supported Gabby every day via the phone and through a series of short letters he started to send her daily. He had been walking around town one day and stopped to browse in a stationer's shop. Noticing a package of exquisite notepaper and envelopes, he was inspired to make the purchase and dedicate himself to some old-school, written support for Gabby. He found writing to his beloved to be another way of connecting to her and centering his own mind to remember how much he valued their relationship.

Dearest Gabriella,

I've decided to write to you each day to show my support for the brave work you're doing to overcome the challenges you're facing, the fears you're trying to overcome, and the ghosts you're trying to banish. You have always inspired me with your strength, courage and fortitude. You give me the courage to carry on my own daily battle with my own demons.

I love you. You are my everything.

Your Micky

My Gabby,

I know you're just beginning your therapy sessions, but in a way this must be the most satisfying phase of your treatment. The time when you can just dump all your troubles, worries and fears down on the ground and let go of them all, right? Be sure to leave all that crap behind you when you leave your appointment.

You are my everything.

Love, Your Micky

Hello, my Gabby,

Another day, another therapy session. Is your head feeling smaller (seeing your head shrinker, ha ha – get it)?

I hope you feel some relief from getting things off your chest. I know I always feel that way after I share at an AA meeting. It's so important to let go of things and then you can be free from the burden. In AA we say "Let Go and Let God." Since you believe in an actual God and I don't, maybe you ought to deputize him for that job in addition to your shrink. Just a thought.

You are my everything and a bag of chips.

Love, Your Micky

After one particularly wrenching conversation Micky had with Gabby one evening, his letter reflected his emotions he felt as a result.

My dearest, dearest Gabriella,

I know this journey you're traveling feels hellish right now. I want you to remember some lyrics I wrote for you many years ago.

The road is long, the road is rough,

I do believe I've had enough.

Remember those words? Well, there was a happy ending to that song, wasn't there? We stuck with our journey to find ourselves and each other, and we came out the other side stronger and happier than ever. Believe me, the work you're doing now is going to serve you well and you'll live such a good life when it's done.