When A Leader Follows

Chapter 1

Have you ever seen someone on the street, high as a cloud? Still a needle in their skin... Open sores all over. It's a bad sight to see. Especially after a funeral that I'd never thought I'd be at. Sadie's funeral. Sadie Laine Thompson. I have 16 years of experience with things like this. Not that I chose to, its just how it came to be.

It's only been 78 days, and as a therapist, I'm surprised I'm not over it. Talking to yourself doesn't help, ironically. Sadie was my best friend since grade 3; all the way up till 78 days ago. Till the day she choked herself to death. I know her family, along with everyone else we know, blames me. "Her best friend is a shrink, and she still couldn't save her." I know that look better than the back of my hand. And it's almost worst than knowing it's true.

I could have done more, I could have been there, I could have I could have I could have. But I didn't. Because I knew she wouldn't of wanted me to. She truly just needed to go, it's what she needed most. She was way beyond crying on my shoulder and eating icecream. No amount of Rocky Road could fix her, nor any re-watches of any chick flick. She was gone before she left. I was the only one who knew, I was the only one who understood.

Her son Jase took it harder then we thought, for a 7 year old. She wrote in her will that I was to take him in. Which is what I did. He was my nephew without the genetic blood connecting us. Now he was my son without the genetic blood connecting us. I called him Jat. His initials. Jase Adam Thompson. He was what I had left of the life I used to have, the life I used to love.