Reunited (Secrets of the Soul, Book One)

Chapter Ten

With her client wanting to finish and a couple of hours left before she had to be at work, Stephanie decided to take some time to get some lunch and think over the situation.

She made her way to a diner near her work and sat down. The exercise on the way there, combined with the fresh breeze that caressed her skin had somewhat refreshed her and allowed her time to think over how to handle him.

With everything he'd said, she was already sure of his problem and what he had to do about it. She just wasn't sure if he'd catch on. Not everyone took to heart what they saw in their sessions. Others never spoke about it again, too overwhelmed by the experience to face their past, and a willingness to heal was the most important part. She supposed some resistance was to be expected; it could be a very emotional experience.

***

"Are you ready?"

The question came from her instructor, a kind woman about fifteen years older than Stephanie who had a soothing tone to her voice. She always sounded so calm, even. Stephanie couldn't remember a time when the woman had raised her voice or sounded impatient. That was one of the few things that had sold Stephanie on signing up under her.

"Yes," Stephanie replied.

She was lying back on a couch in a modern office. The walls were covered with different degrees and other documents, as well as some generic artwork Stephanie found boring and unattractive. She decided if she ever had an office like this of her own, she'd put up a lot of photography—vibrant, colorful images. Lilac from a diffuser permeated the space, which she loved. She'd already been here a few times, and that was the one detail of the room that made her feel comfortable.

She had a lot of reasons to be nervous about this.

"Are you sure? You seem quite tense, Stephanie. This isn't going to work unless you're relaxed. Maybe you'd be better off coming back another time."

"No," she insisted. "I want to do this, ma'am. I need to. It's part of the process."

As confident as she sounded, and as sure as she was she spoke the truth, Stephanie was still slightly nervous about having someone she barely knew getting into her business. Learning of the few things she remembered clearly.

God, she wished she could forget.

Her parents never brought it up outside of the brief time she'd been haunted by nightmares as a child. They never made her feel less than her sister, even though they were all fully aware of who'd she'd once been and the things she'd done. They'd treated her exactly like they did her sister. Even so, she still carried a sense of shame with her, and the last thing she felt like doing was dredging it all up with someone she hadn't even known long. Who knew what other terrible secrets were hiding inside of her, waiting to be exposed? Things that might end up haunting her again, playing through her mind over and over as she slept.

"All right, then, Stephanie. Let's get started. Close your eyes."

The woman ran through the meditation she'd seen performed before. The difference was, she was the one on display this time. That was another thing that made her nervous. She'd volunteered to be a subject in front of her group without thinking. A group that was now seated in a small line of chairs against the opposite walls, watching the whole thing intently. What if something horrible ended up coming out in front of the others? Would they start looking at her like she was some monster? The idea made Stephanie's stomach turn. There was only one other person in this world she'd ever told about her pasts, and that was her best friend.

Despite all of those fears, there was something that she feared more — not being able to complete the program and do the work she was sure she needed to. She was convinced that part of the reason she'd remembered these things, the reason why she still took it to heart, was so she'd be able to help others not to fall into the trap she had. The thought was grounding, and it allowed her to relax and listen to the suggestions coming from the instructor.