The Revelation

In session

Dr. Marlena Evans's office

Mike's pov

"So, Mike, why don't you sit and tell me what's on your mind?" Marlena asks smiling, her yellow notepad in hand, ready to record her thoughts on our session.

"Do you mind if I stand, Marlena?" I ask, as I pace restlessly. "I'm too agitated to sit right now."

"Of course you may stand if you like. Tell me what has you so upset."

I stop pacing for a moment, trying to collect my thoughts. Shaking my head, I toss my hands up in frustration.

"I'm trying really hard to pretend knowing I'm Julie's biological father doesn't change anything but it does. It just does," I say, rubbing the back of my neck as I start pacing back and forth again.

"Tell me what's changed, Mike."

"I don't know."

"I think you do know, now tell me." Marlena has a way of demanding information from her clients without being bossy.

"Things are just different," I say, continuing to stonewall her.

"What happened yesterday that prompted you to schedule this appointment?"

"Neil told me to call you."

"You're skirting the issue, Dr. Horton. Neil didn't dial the phone, you did, so you must have agreed that this session was warranted. Tell me what has you so conflicted. What made you reconsider your original decision not to tell Julie you're her biological father?"

I sigh loudly knowing Marlena won't stop until she's worn me down so I might as well start talking.

"Well, first Julie called me Mike, then Shane told her she could go to a party without even consulting me first, then Shane roughly grabbed her arm and I stopped him from reprimanding her and lastly, I got upset seeing Julie and Shane so close together in the common room." I sigh again, shake my head in frustration, and throw my hands up in defeat before finally taking a seat and surrendering myself to Marlena's psychoanalysis.

"Why did Julie calling you Mike upset you? Haven't the girls always addressed you and Shane by your first names?" Marlena questioned, pen in hand, ready to jot some notes.

"Yeah, they have," I replied, slapping my hands on my thighs and leaning back on my chair. "I don't know why it bothered me this time, it just sounded disrespectful for some reason."

"Explain," Marlena commands, knowing there's more to the story than Mike's leading on.

"I don't know. It just got under my skin for some reason. I didn't like the way it sounded. I know it doesn't make any sense, that's why this is so frustrating." I stand up and run my fingers through my hair, lacing them together at the base of my neck as I stare at the ceiling.

"Tell me what you and Julie were discussing at the time. Were you arguing?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

Marlena replies, "Educated guess. Go on."

"We were arguing about her going to a party, the one I mentioned earlier that Shane had already agreed to let her attend. I wasn't thrilled with Julie's disrespectful attitude so when she called me Mike it just grated on my nerves."

"Were you upset with Shane for making the decision to allow her to attend the party without conferring with you first?"

"Yes! If I had known that ahead of time, I could've avoided the entire argument with Julie."

"Was Shane out of line by making that decision without your input? Did he overstep his bounds?" Marlena's seemingly innocent questions were actually designed to make Mike delve deeper into exploring his feelings.