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“That’s for you to decide. This is your space, Vivian. If you don’t want to work on something or do something, I’m not going to try to force you. Do you think your intimacy issues are something worth trying to resolve?”
Vivian considered this. On the one hand, if she really could untangle this mess in her head, she might have a chance of being with Emma again, she had been so very happy with Emma—if Emma would take her back, that is. On the other hand…
“I don’t know who I’d be. Won’t I be a completely different person if I change such a fundamental part of myself? Would I even know myself?”
“No amount of therapy can magically turn you into a different person. Change, if it happens, comes slowly. You wouldn’t be a different person. You would simply be evolving into a slightly different version of yourself. A better version of yourself, some might argue.”
Vivian took another minute to consider this. This Dr. Barb Skye seemed full of wisdom. Maybe she could help Vivian. “Yes. I would like to work on my intimacy issues.”
“Okay.” Dr. Skye smiled warmly. “Then why don’t you tell me more about your childhood? Did anything in your upbringing lead you to believe that you were unable to rely on other people?”
Vivian had been expecting questions about her past and had those answers prepared. It wasn’t like she had anything particularly interesting to say. She’d always had a supportive family, and she doubted they were the cause of her issues. She didn’t have anything at all to say on the matter of friends and relationships, other than talking about her time with Emma.
That was going to be difficult, but Vivian had come here for help, and she was going to cooperate as fully as she was able to.
Okay, Vivian. Let’s do this.
So she started from the beginning, telling Dr. Skye her life’s story.
As had been her norm for the past two months, Vivian went to get ice cream after therapy and sat in the park to eat it. Ice cream reminded her of Emma and Lily, and always brought a smile to her face, even if it was a bittersweet memory.
She was headed to her favorite bench, focused mostly on licking the drips of the melting ice cream before they could fall onto her hand.
“Mom! Mom! Look!”
Vivian looked up. That voice was familiar.
Sure enough, it was Lily, and Lily was running straight toward Vivian.
Vivian had just enough time to lay her bowl of ice cream down on the bench before Lily barreled into her, wrapping her arms tightly around Vivian’s waist.
“You’re here! I missed you so much,” Lily sounded tearful, and Vivian hugged her back automatically. “I missed you, too.” Vivian said and she meant it deeply. She felt tears forming in her eyes as Lily’s big brown eyes stared into her soul.
“Will you make up with my Mom, please? What I would really like is if you could be my mom, too? Then I could have two mom’s again?” Lily was earnest and Vivian didn’t know what to say. She wanted nothing more than to take care of them both. She looked over Lily’s shoulder.
Sure enough, Emma was hurrying over to them, her face bright red.
“Lily, don’t run off like that! You scared me.”
“Sorry, Mom.”
A passing man snorted, casting the three of them a disgusted look.
Anger immediately flared in Vivian’s stomach. “Do you have a problem?”
“No, no problem at all. I just feel sorry for all children who have to grow up in broken households. Children should have two parents who love each other.”
Vivian’s hands clenched at her sides. She lifted one arm to point at Emma. “I love this woman more than anyone else in the world! She’s the love of my life, and Lily is lucky to have both of us.”
“Two women can’t love each other. It’s not natural.”
“Yeah? Well, why don’t you come over here and do something about it?” Vivian challenged.
She had taken self defense classes. She got someone in to run them regularly for the female staff in the office, as well as any men who wanted to join in, and she participated too. If he so much as looked like he was going to try anything, Vivian would have him flat on his back and regretting ever crossing her.
The man examined the commitment in her eyes for a few moments before giving the three of them another filthy look and stalking off. Vivian met Emma’s shocked gaze. Only now did she realize what she had said.
“Did you mean that?” Emma whispered.
