𝑱𝑼𝑺𝑻 𝑭𝑶𝑹 𝑨 𝑴𝑶𝑴𝑬𝑵𝑻 (18+)

thirty-one || "His Name Is Christopher Johnson."

➳♥

"Hi Summer, my name is Dr. Halstead, but you can just call me Kat if you feel more comfortable."

"I like Kat, is it short for something?"

The therapist smiled and removed her glasses, placing them on the desk beside her before answering my question. "Yes, my name is Katherine." I watched as she opened her notebook, reading information unknown to me.

While she was distracted, I took the chance to observe my surroundings. The room I was in was small, but it felt open due to the way the furniture was placed. The blinds were closed, and the room was dimly lit, the neutral tone of the wallpaper, and frequent placing of plants making the atmosphere homey.

She had a radio on that played tranquil music, sitting next to an oil diffuser that pumped out a wonderful lavender scent. The couch was extremely soft and given the environment, I might have fallen asleep if she wasn't sitting five feet away from me. Her office felt so safe, no wonder Sandra had been doing much better since seeing her.

"So, why don't you tell me about yourself Summer, and I'll do the same." She crossed her legs and smiled, waiting for me to begin. "Uh, I'm twenty-two, I'm going into my senior year of college and I'm studying education to be a teacher." She nodded her head slowly as I spoke. "Have you always wanted to be a teacher?"

"Yes, I love kids and I love learning. I'm more interested in teaching kindergarten, so I focus on early childhood education courses." She giggled before interjecting, "I have a four-year-old that is obsessed with the ABC song at the moment." She pulled out her phone and showed me a video of her son causing me to smile immediately, "he's very cute, that's exactly why I want to teach young kids, those moments are everything." She hummed, bobbing her head. "I agree, do you have any younger siblings that inspire you as well?"

"No, my parents were one and done."

"And how is that? Being an only child?"

No one had ever asked me that before, "it's not as lonely as everyone thinks it is. Me and my parents are close, and I had a pleasant childhood." She made a note in her book and turned back to me. "Good, good, and what is your parents' relationship like?" Her head tilted, patiently waiting for my answer. "My parents have a good relationship; they suit each other well. Of course, they bump heads from time to time, but they've always been an example of what I'd want from a relationship." She raised her brows and pressed me further, "and what is it that you want from a relationship?"

"Happiness. I want my partner to add to my happiness. I want to have honesty, loyalty, humility. I want to be able to communicate, laugh, cry, to have fun. I want a friend and a confidant, and most of all I want to feel loved, and to not have to question that love."

She hummed and wrote another note in her book. "And have you found that yet?" My cheeks heated instantly, "Yes, I have now." She raised another brow, uncrossing her legs. "Now? Was there someone in your past that didn't give you that?" This woman was good, scarily good. "Yes, he's part of the reason I'm here actually." She continued to nod her head, imploring me to continue.

"His name is Christopher Johnson. We started dating the summer before my senior year of high school."

"And how long were you and Christopher together?"

"A year and some change."

Humming again, her forehead creased this time. "Tell me, what was it like being with Chris?" He was so awful I'd almost forgotten he wasn't always like that, or maybe it was just that he was good at deceiving people, deceiving me.