Bound in Love

Chapter 47

It wasn't usual for them to be together with Eric. They'd always have their meetings separated. That day, Eric asked for both. Chris had left the studio certain that he was going to talk about Heaven and what Millie told them when she visited them a few days before. Ever since then, they have been trying to avoid having the custody of their child taken away from them. Susan had a friend who as a lawyer and sent them to him. The conversation had been brief with him telling them that their case was complicated, but that they should meet with more time and more details to discuss the delicate matter. He gave them his contact in case an emergency would happen though. Ellie had been extremely nervous since Millie's visit and Chris feared she'd take comfort in Prozac; thus, he was like a hawk observing her, but he wasn't home the entire time and that was preoccupying him. They haven't heard from Millie since then. It's not that she hasn't tried to reach for them, it's that they both refused to talk to her ever since.

They were sitting in front of the therapist holding hands under the table. Eric looked at them playing with a pen around his fingers. A little confusion lingering in the air as they were quite sure he was waiting for them to speak, but they thought he was the one having something to tell them, so they just stared back at him with their hands squeezing one another and two extremely racing hearts. Brooke was looking after Heaven since they knew the conversation could take long and Eddie was there too, not only keeping his fiancée some company but also supporting his best friend and family to be.

"My daughter will need to eat..." Ellie decided to say as if trying to rush him. Eric swallowed dry.

"Your sister is here to assist you." He responded calmly though he knew it was some sort of provocation from her.

"My sister is here to look after my daughter while I am here in this meeting and only that. Are we taking that long? Why did you want to meet with both of us? Are you taking her away from us? Is that it? Or is it the fact that I asked for another therapist? What is it Eric? My urine tests show no abnormalities..." Ellie started babbling showing all her rage in her voice, but Chris stopped her.

"Ellie..." He said, squeezing her hand under the table and she looked at him.

"I know what he is going to tell us." She affirmed and Chris nodded and then looked at Eric.

"Is she right?" Chris asked sounding calm, but he was dying inside.

"None of you have been cooperating." Eric pointed with his pen at them one at a time.

"Not cooperating?" Chris frowned. "Define cooperating." He then asked. "Because in my definition of cooperating, we have been doing it. We have been to all meetings. We make every fucking toxicology test you order. Do you order that many to your other patients?" It was his turn to rebel.

"I am trying to help." Eric rested both arms on the table and looked in their eyes, going back and forth from one to another. "It's not easy for me to do this."

"So..." Ellie's voice shook. "...you're going to do it..." Her voice basically disappeared in the end and she let her eyes fall on the table.

"I have to." Eric said. Chris let go of Ellie's hand and got up in a rampant, pointing a finger at him.

"Fuck you!" He told him. "You come here to tell us you have to take our baby girl away from us? Do you think that's normal?" His tears started running down his face without him even noticing it. "Why are you doing this? I trusted you! I have been doing everything as you say!"

"I have to." Eric tried to explain. "I can't just turn a blind eye to this. I can lose my license."

"We are clean!" Ellie spoke. She was crying too. "This is inhuman... our baby is three months old. We are going to lose a lot of her growth. It's easy for you to say. You must have done this a thousand times. We are her parents though. You have no idea what we have been through so we could have her. You know nothing." She shook her head.