Page 4 of Carrie's Strength
“Yeah, once he tried to get his t-shirt over the top a few times and realized it wouldn’t fit,” Tank replied, causing me to choke on the pancake.
“Fuck babe, you okay?” Jason asks as he comes rushing over to me.
Swallowing the mouthful and washing it down with some tea, I laugh.
“Your freaking son, alright,” I reply, still laughing.
Tank and Jason join in while Beau is standing there trying to put his biker boots on.
“I best help him,” Tank says, still laughing.
Tank is keeping Beau for the rest of the day doing man stuff, as they put it. Jason and Tank bought an old, beat-up Harley. Together with Beau, they are working on it. Once Beau turns 18, they plan to give it to him. I swear when they ran the idea past me, I nearly cried. It is in the garage at the compound, and all the brothers have been helping Beau work on it. It really is such a warming sight, all these hard-ass bikers being so patient and kind with a little boy.
While they are out, Jason is coming with me to my appointment.
CHAPTERTHREE
JOKER
“Babe, you ready?” I shout up the stairs.
Fuck she seems to be taking ages to get ready. Carrie is a low-maintenance type of woman. She could be ready for a night out in half an hour. A normal trip somewhere during the day, she’s ready in 10 minutes. I know she is trying to delay leaving as she doesn’t really want to go to her therapy session today. My girl is so strong and has handled everything that has happened to her with a strength that has amazed us all. But that being said, I know she needs a little push to let go and tell you how she’s truly feeling. She keeps it all inside as she’s putting everyone else’s feelings first. I know Reck has tried to talk to her about how she came to be with him in the first place, but she shuts down. I know my girl, and she doesn’t want to upset Reck. He already blames himself as he thinks if he hadn’t got sent down, he would have been there for Carrie and Johnny. But Dr. Wood is right, we can’t live in the past, and we have to move forward. The monster has no place in our lives now.
“Babe, seriously, if you’re not down these stairs in 5 minutes, I am coming up to get you,” I shout at her.
“Okay, Jesus. Keep your hair on. I’m coming,” she calls back as she’s racing down the stairs.
“Thank God,” I mutter.
Heading for the car, I lock the house and get into the truck.
“You okay, babydoll?” I ask her. She looks nervous.
“Yeah, I’m okay, just want this over with,” she says on a sigh.
Pulling up outside the doctor’s office, I can feel the nerves coming off Carrie in waves.
“Babe, it will be okay. I’ll be right outside in the waiting room if you need me,” I assure her, squeezing her hand.
She gives me a small nod and gets out of the truck. She looks so unsure and scared. Fuck I hate seeing her like this. My girl is always so confident and sure of herself, but watching her as she slowly walks into the office, you would think she was walking to her death. I want to wrap her in my arms and hold her tight. The therapy sessions have been good for her. She’s light and happy like she used to be. But the sessions also take it out of her, and she can be in a dark mood for a little bit after. Usually, time with Beau and me can bring her out of it. I know today is going to be hard on her.
Dr. Wood has been easy on her up to now, not pushing her too hard for her to really open up and let go of what happened to her. I knew there would come a day when she would need to examine it closer and really come to terms with what happened.
Checking in at the reception desk, we take a seat in the plush waiting room. Pulling her hand into my lap, I give it a reassuring squeeze while we wait.
Dr. Wood appears in the doorway not long after we arrive. She says goodbye to her current appointment and then smiles at Carrie and me.
“Carrie are you ready?” she asks.
Carrie nods her head and follows her through the doorway.
I sit in the waiting room, playing with my phone for what feels like hours when the door opens, and Dr. Wood pops her head out.
“Joker, can you join us, please?” she says, but she has a smile on her face easing my worry a little.
Walking into the office, I take a seat next to Carrie on the couch. She looks haunted. Resisting the urge to move her into my lap, I grab her hand again.
“Joker, I have asked you to join us as I feel it is important you know and understand how Carrie is feeling. But also, for you to understand what she has been through so you can help her work through it all,” Dr. Wood says with a smile.
