Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 101662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Oh, Elijah…I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry…
My parents flew out of the passenger’s and driver’s seats, looking straight at me.
“Kierra!” Mom shouted as she and my father rushed over to me.
“Are you all right?” Dad asked with a concerned tone.
The headlights kept shining, reflecting off the falling snow.
My parents didn’t wait for a reply. The moment their arms wrapped around me, my knees gave out, and I crashed to the cement as uncontrollable sobs rippled through me. They held me tight as I kept saying the same words over and over. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I whimpered, choking on each chilled inhalation.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I echoed as my parents tried their hardest to comfort and collect the breaking fragments of my soul.
Each breath grew more difficult, and each cry grew more intense.
Fuck.
1
Kierra
Present Day
Claire Dune was having a bad day. Or a bad string of days. She was convinced hers was a bad life. She’d sat across from me in my comfy chairs three times a week over the past few months to inform me just how bad a life she’d been living.
My notebook stayed in my grip as I listened attentively to each syllable that fell from her mouth. I studied not only her word choices, but also the way she moved when she expressed them. I had noticed over the past few months that her story seemed to grow ever more intense. I’d also noticed that if I didn’t solely agree with her, she’d say I was acting just like her mother.
“You just don’t get me,” she complained as she flopped backward in her chair. “No one gets me.”
“I get you, Claire. I see you, and I am learning more and more each time. I know I am still new to you, but I think we’ve had a few breakthroughs. I’m really proud of your progression over the last few weeks. Unfortunately, we are out of time for today.”
She glanced up at the clock, grimaced, and then turned to me. “But I need to tell you more.”
“Yes, and I am excited to hear more during our next scheduled appointment.” I stood. “But these next few days, remember to make a list each day. Every time you have a negative thought, think of what the opposite thought would be, and try to sit in that for a while. To feel the opposite of—”
“Dread?”
I smiled. “Of whatever the emotion is. Then tackle it from there and see what steps you could take to get closer to that feeling.”
“Fine. But if it doesn’t work, I’m not paying my bill,” she warned.
“Yes, well, that’s not how this works. For now, though, enjoy your weekend. I’ll see you next week.”
She stood and dragged her feet. “If I make it that long,” she muttered.
“You have to make it that long. Rumor has it that Kehlani is coming out with a new song next week.”
She perked up slightly. “She is?”
“Yup. Just saw a post online. Plus, that new movie with Zendaya is around the corner. You haven’t missed one of her movies yet, and it would be a shame if you started now.”
Her thick brown brows knit, and she pushed out her bottom lip. She scratched the back of her neck. “Well, it wouldn’t be very girls’ girl of me if I checked out before supporting both of them.”
“That’s very true. And we are all about being a girls’ girl,” I said as I slightly nudged her. “Three things before you go, other than Kehlani and Zendaya.”
“Ugh. Can’t they count?”
“Nope. Three things that made you smile this week.” At the end of every session, I have patients tell me three things that make them smile. It can be big things or small things. Just to help them see that there isn’t only darkness around them. That there is still something good to seek in life.
She grumbled and pushed her fingers against her brows. “Fine,” she said. “Well, my garden is all dug up. My neighbor helped me and he picked up some seeds for me to plant.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Peter?”
“Yeah, Peter.” Her cheeks slightly blushed. “It’s just a nice gesture. Don’t read into it.”
I tossed my hands up. “Not reading into anything.” Except that I was completely reading into it. Claire had told me she had a crush on her neighbor Peter for the past two years, but never had the courage to speak to him. This was a much bigger step than she realized. We’d revisit that next week.
“Oh! And I got a raise at work. Only a dollar more an hour, but that was good,” she added with a small curve to her lips.
“Claire! That’s remarkable and a big achievement. I know you were nervous to ask for the raise, but it worked out.”
“Yeah. I guess people do need to speak up for themselves sometimes… Oh! I know my third thing.” She was almost full-blown smiling as the memory came back to her. “My niece said her first word and it was ‘Claire.’”