Page 73 of Don't Leave
My mouth tumbles open. “How can you say that?”
I mean, she knows everything about me.
The good, bad, and ugly.
“Everyone has issues, whether they see a therapist for them or not. Everyone comes with their own unique set of baggage. I’m not in the business of judging people for what they’ve been through or the mistakes they’ve made.”
“But you can’t possibly want me with him” I whisper.
Cole deserves the best. He deserves a girl with her shit together and that’s not me. I’m still a work in progress. Maybe I’ll always be a work in progress. I can’t help but stare down at my fingers which are tangled in the hem of my thick winter coat.
“Cassidy,” she says, drawing my attention back to her, “I want my son to be happy and in a healthy, loving relationship. That’s all any mother can hope for. Cole is a grown adult, and he’s more than capable of making his own choices.” There’s a pause before she adds, “And his own mistakes. I can’t stop that from happening.”
I glance away before mumbling, “Does he know I was seeing you?” My drops even lower. “Professionally?”
“Of course not. I would never divulge personal information about a client. There are strict laws against that, not to mention ethical oaths I took when I received my license to practice. I take my professional responsibilities very seriously.” She gives me a penetrating look. “I hope you realize that. I’d never do anything to harm a client. My role in your life is to offer help and assistance. Now, if you chose to tell him, that’s your decision. But I willneverdiscuss our relationship with anyone else.”
Even though I understand what she’s telling me, I can’t stop the question from shooting out of my mouth. “Does your husband know?”
She shakes her head. “Absolutely not. He’s under the impression that we met for the first time at our house.”
That’s such a relief.
I force my gaze to hers. “Cole and I aren’t seeing each other anymore.” My guess is that I she already knows this, but I tell her anyway.
“I know,” she acknowledges quietly. “He mentioned it.” She clears her throat. “I really hope I wasn’t the reason.”
I inhale a deep breath before forcing out a response. “No, you weren’t.”
“Good.” She winces before correcting herself. “Well, not good…”
“I know.” I force myself to admit, “I messed up our relationship all on my own.”
“I guess you need to decide if your relationship with Cole is worth repairing.”
If I didn’t know better, I’d think she might actually be encouraging me to fix things with her son.
“I don’t know if that’s possible.”
Would he be willing to give me a second chance?
Or has he already moved on?
I’ve spotted him around campus with several different girls. My heart constricts every time it happens. It’s painful to think about him loving someone else the way he once loved me.
“I suppose that’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself.”
I nod in agreement.
With a glance at her wristwatch, she says, “I need to get back to the office, but it was lovely to run into you, Cassidy. I think you’ve grown tremendously in the short amount of time you’ve been at Western. You should be proud of all you’ve accomplished and keep focused on the goals you’ve set for yourself.” There’s a pause. “You should feel good about the person you’re growing into. You need to give yourself a bit of grace and stop being so hard on yourself.” She gives me a knowing look. “Sometimes we’re our own worst critics.”
We fall into silence as I allow her words to wash over me.
Emotion gathers in my throat. “Thanks, Dr. Thompson…for everything. I’m going to miss you.” As the words fall from my lips, I realize how true they are.
“It was my pleasure, Cassidy. And remember, if you decide you’d like a referral, just give the office a call. All right?” She squeezes my hand for a second time.
“Yes.” I smile, feeling less weighted down than I have in a long time.
