Aftertaste (Sin #2)

LI.

"Things changed a little, I think. They shifted into a different direction. I can't really explain it, but I feel like it's better. We don't fight that much and it's overall just good."

"That's very nice to hear, Alexander. Have you two talked about your relationship and everything that happened?"

I pause to think about it. "No, not really. We just fell right back into it. A lot of things happened, so we didn't put any focus on that."

"Hmm," my therapist says. I hate her "hmms" because I never know what the fuck does she mean with them. Hmm good or hmm bad? Who the fuck knows.

"What does hmm mean?" She's driving me crazy with them.

"Just ... hmm."

Thanks a lot.

I frown. "Well, am I supposed to do now? We're good – great even. Do I even need therapy anymore?"

"How are things going with your cat?"

My eyebrows jump up at the sudden change of subject. "Good?" I sound unsure because it comes out like a question. Why the hell is she asking me about my cat?

"When Gabrielle was gone ... you were taking care of her, correct?"

That's putting it mildly. I basically lived with the cat in the full sense, even slept in the same bed and everything. If anyone saw me, they'd think I went full-on crazy. "Yeah."

"And would you say you took a good care of her?"

"It's a cat, doc. They only need food and water and they'll survive."

"Yes, but you have to give them food and water."

My frown deepens. "Are you asking me if I fed her? Because I did. No animal abuse happening here, trust me."

"No, that was not why I was asking, but that's good to know. Do you like the cat?"

Why the fuck are we still talking about the cat? "Yeah, she's okay."

"Hmm," she says.

I cross my arms over the chest, sitting back on the couch, glancing at the clock to see if Gabrielle is coming soon. She's not. I sigh.

"You got a cat and had to stay alone with her without previously owning any animals and you did a good job. Do you think you'd be able to take care of someone else? A dog, perhaps? They're a little more complicated than cats."

I groan. "I'm not a fan of dogs. They're too ... happy for my taste, need a lot of attention and they're a big mess."

"Hmm."

I'm going to fucking scream with her hmms. "Can we go back to the conversation about my relationship and how to save it or somethin'?"

My therapist sighs on the other side of the phone. "You're doing better now because you're surrounded by better people. You said you want to give up racing because of you, not just her, and that makes it for all the right reasons, too. But you also aren't surrounded with people who are a bad influence anymore, so you don't do bad things."