𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱-𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭 (𝟏𝟖+) 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃 ✓

Chapter 25

"Wren and I will spend the next one hour getting to know one another and I'll start to approach more sensitive topics and gauge how much he's willing to share. After the one hour is up, I'll call you into the room and discuss what we have accomplished," the therapist tells me.

"Thank you so much, Doctor Russo. Wren, Doctor Russo wants to talk to you for a bit, can you go with him?" I ask crouching down to his eye level. He looks at me before glancing over to the doctor with hesitant eyes.

"You don't have to worry Wren, we'll be in that room over there and if you need Charlotte at any moment you can wave to her through the glass," he cheerfully says pointing to his office. Wren looks back at me and I give him an encouraging nod of the head to go with the doctor.

"I'll be right outside Wren, if you need me I'll come running," I say kissing his forehead. He steps beside the doctor and follows him into the office leaving the door open behind him. I take a seat in the waiting area a couple of feet away from the office, pulling out my phone to keep myself busy for the hour.

After the last therapy session that became a disaster, I vowed to look for another therapist and this time I pray they have no connection with Jax. Finding Doctor Russo was a godsend. He's a cheery old man and he seems to have a good reputation with children. Not to mention his office is very open and you can see what's happening when your child is having a session.

My phone pings and I see a text from Jax saying he's on his way to the clinic. When I told him this morning I would be taking Wren for his appointment, he told me he'd try to leave work early to meet us. I love how he makes his brother his number one, no matter what the situation, Wren is always number one in his eyes.

I can understand the sentiment though, after all that's happened since November with Wren, he's number one and a number one priority for me too. Everything else comes second but Wren always comes first.

"Charlotte? Charlotte Dawson? Is that you?" I turn my head to see a man holding a boy that looks to be the same age if not a year younger than Wren looking at me in surprise. "You are Charlotte!" he exclaims. I look at him for a couple of seconds before it clicks and I'm left gasping and pointing.

"Jason? Jason Carter?" I ask in surprise. Standing across from me is my childhood friend Jason. We met when we were toddlers and being next-door neighbours growing up, we became the best of friends. He's my brother from another mother, that's how close we were. 

We lost touch with one another when his family moved to America, the summer before grade nine. Looking at him now he's changed over the years. A nose ring, tattoos on his hands; he has a more dangerous yet edgy vibe to him now but still the boyish smile from when we were kids.

"What are the odds we'd reunite here?" he asks, sitting beside me.

"I know right, I wouldn't have expected it in the least," I chuckle. "Is this your son?" I ask, looking at the boy that's peeking at me before burying his face in Jason's shoulder.

"No, this is my nephew Oli. You remember my sister Emily right? This is her son," he explains, the small boy continuing to peek in curiosity. I have flashbacks to a blonde-haired girl, the same age as my brother, playing with the two of us or pranking us alongside my brother. If this is Emily's son, why is Jason here with him at a therapist's office?

"Yeah, I remember Emily. How is she doing?" I question and I watch his face fall a bit from my question.

"Emily and her husband plus Oli got into a car crash a couple of months ago. The only survivor was Oli," he says in a pained voice.

"Jason, I'm so sorry to hear that," I sympathize. "I know what you're going through. My parents passed away from a crash a couple of years ago," I tell him and I can still feel the stabbing pain just thinking about them.