Page 81 of Choosing Skyler

“I am. I will.” I smile at her. “Brady is good at reminding me of that, too.”

“Well, good. How are things with Brady since you’ve been home?” she asks.

I had told her in my previous sessions about my thoughts and fears after what Dirk did and almost took from me. I told her that I knew I wanted to have sex with Brady, even though he would wait forever if that’s what I needed.

“Great. Perfect. He’s… We’re perfect,” I stutter, blushing. “We… um… had sex.” I continue before she can comment. “It wasn’t rushed or forced. It was when and how it was right for us. Both of us. It was amazing,” I rush out, feeling the blush heating my face travel down to my chest.

“I’m glad to hear that the intimacy wasn’t a problem, but also that you didn’t rush it before you were truly ready. Is there anything you want to talk about regarding the experience?” she asks me.

I chew on my bottom lip before answering. “I… um… Is itnormalto like pain during sex? I mean…” I trail off, thoroughly embarrassed and not knowing how to say what I feel.

She straightens in her seat, looking confused. “Did Brady hurt you, Skyler?”

“No!” I shout. “He would never! I mean… What I meant was… Ienjoyedlosing my virginity even though it hurt. It was like the pain made the pleasure…better,” I continue even though my face feels like it’s on fire. “I also like feeling… taken… owned… by him. I don’t know the right word. Do you think that’s because of what Dirk almost did to me or is it justme?”

“First, I want to go back to your original question now that I understand it better. What isnormalis different for every partnership. As long as it is one hundred percent safe and consensual, there is no right or wrong way to have an intimate relationship. What isnormalis for you and your partner to make those decisionstogether. Okay?” she says firmly.

When I nod, she continues. “As for your second question, there is no way to know how much of your psyche was affected by your attack since you have no prior sexual experience to compare it to. It’s possible that your mind wants you to feel takenconsensuallyby someone who loves you like Brady does after what happened with Dirk which was entirely the opposite. Or it could just be your natural preference in an intimate situation. Either way, what’s most important is that you and Brady do and experience what is right for the two of you,now. Make sure you talk to each other and let each other know if things change.”

“We did… We do… talk about it. But your advice helps too. Thank you,” I tell her earnestly.

She nods and we talk the rest of the time about upcoming appointments and what I hope to gain from my recovery. As usual, I feel lighter after telling her my thoughts and feelings that I would usually keep hidden.

“I’m so glad to see you doing so well. Going home has certainly agreed with you. Is there anything else you want to cover today?” she asks after glancing up at the clock.

“No. I don’t think so,” I say, standing to leave.

“Well, I’ll see you on Wednesday. And if you need me before then, you know you can call me anytime,” she says, walking me to the door.

Brady

I pick up my phone to check the time and it rings in my hand. Sable Simmons’ name flashes on the screen. I answer, hoping she’s calling to tell me the judge dismissed Eric’s claim on my mom’s estate.

“Hello,” I say into the phone.

“Hi, Brady. It’s Sable Simmons. How are you?” she asks in her professional voice.

“I’m okay. I hope you’re calling with good news,” I say hesitantly.

“Well, I am. But I also have some news that may not be so great. The good news is that the judge dismissed Eric’s claim on the life insurance entirely. The original policy paid all of her outstanding medical bills and the balance of one-hundred fifteen-thousand dollars should be deposited into your account by the end of this week.” She pauses for my response.

“That is so much more than I was expecting. Thank you so much for everything, Ms. Simmons,” I say, relieved at the idea of having extra money in my diminishing account.

“There’s also the second policy which is much larger than the first since it was a Universal Life policy. We set her up with an investment banker that made some very wise choices for her portfolio with the cash value on the policy and more than quadrupled the one-million-dollar value. The total value of that portfolio is just under five million dollars, and you’ll be getting the documents to take ownership of that in full,” she explains.

I’m glad I’m still sitting because I would have fallen over otherwise. That is life changing money and Eric won’t see a penny of it thanks to Sable Simmons and my mom’s smart decisions.

“Wow. That’s… I don’t know what to say. That’s incredible. So, what’s the ‘not so great’ news?” I ask her, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“The judge did not dismiss Eric’s petition against the estate. Now, that doesn’t mean he’ll get the estate, either. The judge scheduled a hearing for next Monday to hear both sides and make a ruling,” she tells me.

“Okay. And you can represent me at the hearing, right? I can’t come back to Virginia right now,” I say, standing to pace, worried that even though he won’t get the money, Eric may still take my home.

I look up just as Skyler walks into the waiting room and walk over to her. I wrap my free hand around her and kiss her forehead as I listen to Ms. Simmons’ answer.

“Yes, I can. However, there’s a very good chance that without your presence, the judge will rule in Eric’s favor. He will assume that you don’t care if you are not there to plead your own case. Now, I will do everything I can to fight that case with or without you in the courtroom. I just want to you be aware that our best chance is if you are there too,” she tells me.

“I understand. I’ll let you know by the end of the day. Thank you for calling, Ms. Simmons,” I tell her, ending the call and putting my phone away to give Skyler my attention. “How was your appointment with Dr. Anderson?”

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