ANTHONY
"Anthony, would you like to add anything?"
Anthony looks up, taken by surprise by the question from Wiliam, the guy who runs the meetings. He shakes his head, his breath catching in his throat. Wiliam sighs and looks a little disappointed, but doesn't push him.
"Come on," Jess, an QC detective who from her stories trying to cope with people's stupidity, pipes up next to him. "You've been coming here for three weeks and you haven't said anything. At least tell us something. "
“Jess,” Wiliam’s voice is low and scolding. “It’s perfectly acceptable for him to not say anything.”
“No, she’s right.” Anthony’s voice quivers as he speaks. “You guys deserve to know at least a little bit about me.”
“So you want to share?” Wiliam asks.
“It’ll help,” Jess adds.
Anthony swallows back the knot in the back of his throat and nods before speaking. “I’m Anthony Wilson.” he waits for the various hellos to quiet down before he continues. He takes a deep breath. “I’ve been a suicidal for seven years. I started after my mom died. I never even wanted to live… not until now that is.”
“What changed?” Harry asks from where he’s sitting next to him.
“I uh… I meet someone, and I’d really like to not mess it up. I’ve made it about three weeks without a overthinking things that I'll messed up, so I um- I guess maybe the motivation is working.”
“That’s great Anthony,” Harry says and pats him on the shoulder.
“Anything else you want to add?” Wiliam asks kindly.
Anthony shakes his.
“Well thank you for sharing,” Wiliam says kindly.
Anthony finds himself with an odd sense of relief about finally talking and being at least a little open.
~~~
“Hey!” Anthony calls and stops Jess after the meeting. She looks a little surprised by him initiating first contact but doesn’t comment on it. “Thanks.”
“For what?” she asks squinting at him.
“Pushing me into talking.”
“Oh, you’re welcome I guess. You just reminded me of me and actually talking really helped me. I’m.. it did help me cope… just ya know, helped me mentally,” Jess says with a shrug. Over the few weeks that Anthony’s been going Jess hasn’t made it more than a week without a drink. She keeps just enough space between her drinking bouts to avoid the effects of withdrawal. “Talking is good, especially after keeping things bottled up for a while.”
“Yeah,” Anthony agrees.
“Well, I gotta go. Have a good night Anthony.”
“You too, and see you next week?”
“Of course!” Jess calls over her shoulder as she pushes her way outside.
~~~
SUMMER
With each passing week, Anthony seems to get better and better and get closer to returning to the happy go lucky man who had helped her clean up a broken pot just over six months ago.
Only this time, Summer’s pretty sure his happiness isn’t just an act to cover his deep emotional scars. He seems to be really and truly happy. The cut on his forehead is almost completely gone, and he just seems lighter.
YOU ARE READING
The Ways in Which I Die (COMPLETED)
RomanceSummer's not that excited about her job. Anthony's not that excited about his life. They meet somewhere in the middle and Maybe just might have a path to happiness...
