Once Again

Chapter 7

Aria

Friday I was surprised when I was called to the office shortly after lunch. Then I was annoyed to find out it was for my therapy appointment. I had hoped that with everything going on, my parents would have forgotten about it. So now I find my self in front of my old therapist, recounting everything that had happened when my sister first went missing, all the way up too now. I hadn't been planning on talking to him, but he kept asking questions and at some point everything just came out. "And now they're back to acting bad if no time has passed since when it first happened." I explain how my parents behavior has reverted back to how they were before Georgie was born.

"Hmm," he nods. "Have you considered that the reason for this, is because they never properly grieved the first time. Instead they locked all thos feelings away so that they could focus on your brother and you?"

I think about what he said, maybe he had a point, maybe my parents had put a hold on their grieving. That would explain why it seemed so important to them to have Emory live with us. Like they were just running as hard and as fast as they could from that grief. Not considering what they really were doing, but just trying to distract them selfs. First it was new baby Georgie, then came this huge custody battle, then it was making sure she settled in and transitioned right into our family. They had Emory fill in the blank space hoping that she could fill the void before they'd have to properly deal with the emotions.

"Okay, so who do I help them get better?" I look at him with hope, may e there was a plus side to this whole therapy thing.

"Really all you can do is just be understanding, they have to work through the grieving process then self." I frown when he says this. I wanted them to get back to normal sooner, if they're left to do it on their own, who knows how long that could take. What if they never get over this, what if mom goes to her room one day and never comes back and what if Dad just stops coming home completely. I need my parents, I can't loose, notike last time.

I didn't tell how much I was panicking until I was grabbing my chest, I feltike I couldn't breathe. "Aria, it's okay, it's just a panick attack," he says before walking nme through the steps of stopping one. Afterwards he looks at me more sympathetically. "How often have these been happening?"

I shake my head, "not since I was little." I tell him. My panic attacks were part of the reason my parents originally decided that I needed therapy when I was younger. I had started having them after Evelyn went missing.

"Hmm, okay," he thinks for a moment, writing something down, and that was basically it for our session today. My grandmother drove me back to school and I went to the rest of my classes as if I didn't just discuss the most personal things in my life. It felt odd to be in such an ordinary setting while my family was teetering on edge. Therapy is supposed to help, but now I feel lost in the memories of both the past and the present, even more than before. I felt more in edge and anxious about it all niw. It was right before my last class that I ran into Marcus though.

"Hey, I haven't seen in a couple hours, someone said you left?" He says guiding me to an unused ball. There was a water leak over the summer and now they have to renovat it. We're technically not supposed to be anywhere near here. It being a safety hazard and all.

"Oh yeah, I guess I kind of did, but I'm back." I say awkwardly. I didn't really want to tell him where I had been.

He nods, "okay then, anyways, I was thinking about what you told me yesterday, and I think I know something that might help." He then hands me a piece of chocolate, "I got it from a friend of a friend, and it's a very small dose, so you shouldn't have any crazy side effects I don't think but"