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Chapter 1
Tyler
Arrival in Pine Creek
“I hate that I have to be here.”
I mumble to myself while impatiently waiting in the tiny sitting room.
I’m far from home in the small town of Pine Creek, where I’ve just moved with my son and his elderly nanny, who is like a grandmother to us both.
I know Timmy, my six-year-old son, is secretly relieved to be here. He’s a movie fanatic, so moving to a new town he’s never been to is quite an adventure for him.
He didn’t care for living in Rondale because every child born there had a bit of demon in them.
There were more bullies than friendly kids for my son to play with. And I had grown to hate the unsafe ranch where I practiced bull riding.
The staff there acted as if they weren’t licensed to work the jobs they did, and the cowboys and bull riders were arrogant and didn’t understand what friendly competition was.
But the knee injury I sustained at that ranch forced me to take a hiatus from my bull riding career and move to another town.
Mrs. Carolyn, the nanny, suggested that I see a therapist on my road to recovery because, in her eyes, I hadn’t been healthily handling my injury.
Plus, she said something about it not being a good thing to keep feelings bottled in, whether good or bad.
So here I am for my first meeting with the therapist recommended to me and who is supposed to be ‘the bee's knees’ from how she’s lauded so highly.
Mrs. Joanie Mitchell, one of our new neighbors, talked this Sarah person up to the point of sparking my interest. Her husband, Bill, just nodded, and he had a huge smile.
“Mr. Parker?”
I look up from twiddling my thumbs in my lap at the sudden voice cutting into my thoughts. I lift my head and don’t expect to see the stunning beauty before me.
She has a clipboard in her hand, and I wonder if she’s the therapist's assistant.
“Yes, I am. And you are?”
I anxiously wait as she gives me a sunny smile and adjusts her square glasses.
“I’m Dr. Marlene. I noticed you didn’t check off a few boxes, and I wanted to return this to you so you could do that.”
Annoyance washes over me and is strong enough to overtake my attraction for her.
I feel like a child being scolded to finish their class assignment before they can go outside for recess.
Or maybe my not wanting to be here in the first place and believing that getting therapy is a huge mistake is making me defiant.
“What’s a few unanswered questions on a piece of paper? Don’t you have to ask me those questions anyway?”
Dr. Marlene tilts her head slightly, a patient yet firm look settling in her eyes. "Mr. Parker, the purpose of these forms is to streamline our session.
It gives me a preliminary understanding of why you're here and what areas we need to focus on.
It's not just about asking questions. It's also about efficiency and depth in our conversation."
I cross my arms, feeling a stubborn resolve tighten in my chest. "But if we talk about all this stuff anyway, why must I write it down first?
Isn't that just wasting time? We could be talking about things that matter instead of ticking boxes."
