Truths Unfold

Long Day (Part 3)

Stef:

It's now storming really bad which is definitely not helping Nora.

I sit down beside her and place my hands on her knees.

"Nikki go get one of her pills and some cold water. She is having a hot flash."

I look at Nora.

"Hey, hey. Listen to my voice. What do you need?"

She trembling still and her breath is rapidly gasping.

"Nora, I am gonna need you to take this medicine and drink this water."

I can't handle this like her anxiety attack because a panic attack and a anxiety attack have to be handled differently.

She breathes long enough to drink some water.

"Now Nora try to match my breathing. In... & Out. In... & Out."

She begins to match my breathing.

"Great job Nora. Once more In.... and out."

Nora looks at me. Then basically pummels me to the ground in a hug.

I sit up with her still tightly wrapped around my neck. She begins to cry.

I rub her back.

"Shh. It's all gonna be okay. Everything will be okay."

Lena:

This breaks my heart. A little girl who just wants to live a semi normal life is being tortured by panic attacks and anxiety attacks.

Luckily Stef knew what she was doing, or we would be in deep trouble.

I begin to tear up at the thought of Stef helping our children one day and that Nora looks so sad right now.

Once Stef got Nora to stop crying. She came over too me.

"What's the matter?"

I shrug.

She lifts up my chin to where I am looking into her beautiful deep hazel green eyes. She grabs a tissue and smiles at me. She wipes away my tears and begins to tell me.

"Ya know most people would say 'you're to pretty to cry' but I think that the pretty eyes have shed the most tears."

She looks at Nora.

"And the prettiest smiles hide the most fears."

She takes my hand and leads me too the couch. She pats the spot next to her so Nora and Nikki would come sit next to her.

"But, that's okay. Because pain is how you make it. Pain sucks, of course. Being heartbroken or feeling useless or even invisible. But, pain is indefinite. I am just starting to figure that out. And girls, and boys to if you're listening."

We all laugh.

"Once you realize that it's okay to have pain in your life. That it's okay to cry when something hurts. And that everything will be okay. You will have so much weight lifted off of your shoulders. When I finally came into acceptance with that. I felt like I had freedom. And sure the pain will still hurt. It's always gonna hurt. But, when you know you have someone by your side and you know the pain will end. You, won't feel the pain quite as much."

I look at her.

"Look at you Miss Wise thing. Sure you don't want to be a guidance counselor?"

She looks at me and laughs

"No wedding planning is more me."

We laugh.

Nora and Nikki hug Stef.