Page 35 of In the Line of Ire

"If you want to talk, you can call me anytime. Now take care,"said Maddox before he hung up. I stuck the phone into my pocket butas I got out of the car, I felt it vibrate. I pulled it out andchecked the screen. My mom sent me a text which read:which shooting incident?I sighed, shaking my head as I returned the cellphone to mypocket.

"Ready?"asked Solomon, grasping my hand as he slammed his cardoor.

"Nope,"I said. "But let's go in anyway because I need to ask afavor."

"So longas it doesn't involve divorce or annulment, you can have anythingyou want."

I beamedas an assortment of wonderful things that I could ask for spunaround in my head. "In that case, I have two favors toask!"

Ourtherapist was a small, round woman with a crop of pink hair thatwas perched like a wad of cotton candy on her head. Hiding behindgigantic eyeglasses, she appeared to be wearing at least threescarves. I recognized the same striped, knitted tights I saw on herlegs as worn by my nieces recently. It was hard to ignore thegarish mess and I wondered if that was her game, if only to ensuremore concentration from her clients. Or perhaps her real goal wasto hypnotize them?

"Myname's Polly. You are John and Lexi. You recently got married andalso endured a terrible trauma," she said in a soft, sage voice asshe looked alternatively between us from her chair opposite.Solomon and I sat side-by-side on a hard couch and held hands,which I found reassuring. I was pretty sure the next hour wouldprovide zero enjoyment for either of us. "This is a safe space foryou both to share your innermost thoughts and feelings. Now, tellme all about it."

"I wasshot," said Solomon. "We ordered a pizza. I opened the door and gotshot."

Pollynodded. "Shot? As in?"

Solomonmade a gun out of his fingers and shot himself in thechest.

"Aha.That must have been difficult for you."

"Notreally. I passed out pretty quickly and fell into a coma for a fewdays. It was much worse for Lexi."

"Do youagree with your husband, Mrs. Solomon?" asked Polly.

I gulped. "Lexi, please," I said because I felt weird wheneverI was calledMrs.I hadn't even decided if I were Mrs. Solomon yet. I liked myown name. Perhaps I would retain both. Or maybe Solomon could bechanged to Graves? No, there were too many Graves in Montgomeryalready. "I think it was worse for him since he was the one gettingshot, obviously; but it horrified me to see him covered in bloodwithout knowing if he would live or die."

"Inbetween her hospital visits, Lexi investigated the case and managedto catch the culprits and also bust up a drug ring," boastedSolomon.

Pollyturned to me, her lower lip wobbling slightly as she narrowed hereyes, apparently faltering in what to say. "How did that make youfeel?" she asked me finally.

"Amazing! They had to be caught and brought tojustice."

"But how did youfeel?" she askedbreathily.

"Um...awesome?"

"Andwhen you saw what happened to John?"

"Terrified. Horrified. Sick." Nausea climbed up my throat,unbidden and most unwelcome. "Also, I was a little bit hungrybecause I thought the pizza had arrived."

"Do youoften use comedy to deflect your fear and anxiety?" sheasked.

"No!"

"So youfelt terrified, horrified, and sick?"

"Andafraid. I didn't know who could have shot him or why."

"But youdo now?"

"Yes, Ido."

"Wecan't discuss the particulars of the case since it's part of anongoing police investigation," interrupted Solomon.

Pollynodded and made a note. "How has your recovery been?" she asked,looking at Solomon.

"Prettygood. I'm slowly regaining all the muscle tone affected by thebullet’s damage without suffering any psychologicaleffects."

---