The Last Dance

022

Janet found herself sitting in front of her laptop, exhausted but her head in the game completely. She was on a Skype meeting with Mariah and their therapist, William D. Rolfe.

"So, we've discussed how communicating can be as helpful as it is harmful. This meaning that today we are going to practice healthy communication. Not fake communication. Let's start with, how is everything? How are we feeling as far as the relationship today?"

The singer knew Mariah was going to speak first so she stayed silent waiting on her to answer. Slowly, the dancer spoke. "I mean... we're good. Right J?"

"Yeah. We're fine."

Their therapist nodded far from convinced and responded. "Okay, then we will have to pull this out of you two. Right now, on this call, I'm going to ask a question. You two will answer me honestly, don't hold back and don't cut each other off. Deal?" The couple nodded causing William to continue. "Great. Mariah, what's something you don't like about Janet?"

Mariah paused visibly, before shaking her head. "Nothing."

"That is a lie. It's something that you don't like. We just agreed to honesty."

"It's okay babe, you can say it." Janet told her girlfriend.

"Alright..." The dancer sighed before thinking of something and finally talking. "Um, I don't like how sometimes she brings personal stuff into work stuff. Like if we argue, she'll take her anger out the next day on someone. Sometimes I feel like she suffocates me a bit when we're around each other... but I think it's just because she's a clingy person."

"Is being a clingy person a bad thing?" The man asked her calmly.

She shook her head again. "No. Not at all. It's just, since I didn't grow up like that, sometimes it bothers me. My mother raised us with a stick sort of, so I've never really been around clinginess, ya know? I'm adjusting though."

"Yes. I understand completely. Janet, your turn. What's something you don't like about Mariah?"

Janet thought it over for a moment before replying. "Mariah is a neat freak. So every time I sit one thing the slightest out of place, it turns into an argument. Most days I feel like her attention is on something else other than me. She assumes a little sometimes. That's all."

"Assume?" Mariah asked the woman, not giving their therapist time to speak. She'd gotten offended... of all words, Mariah thought the word assume was a bit off and far fetched.

"You assume a bit honey."

"You assumed I was cheating with Denzel."

The singer rolled her eyes, knowing this would come up. "He was all over you."

"Okay?"

"Okay? That's my point exactly. Why would you think him being all over you was anywhere near okay?"

"It was the same way you thinking going over to Jermaine's house and being alone with him for half a day, was okay." Mariah shot back. "Or do we not recall that?"

Their therapist cut into the conversation. "Okay. Everyone take a breath. We are here to talk, not argue alright? Mariah, instead of immediately getting defensive when you feel attacked, let's try to take a breath and think it over before replying. Yes?"

"Okay Doc." The dancer muttered as she rolled her eyes.

"Thank you. Now, Janet, I heard what you said and I noticed you said you feel like Mariah's attention isn't on you. Can you expand on that issue first?"

"I don't know... I just feel like sometimes the flame just isn't there for her like it is for me. I can barely get her attention some days because her head is elsewhere. Yes, most times it's dance but honestly, I can't help but feel like someone is going to come around and catch her attention in ways I can't."

Mariah looked puzzled, having never heard this from her girlfriend before. Janet always caught her attention, even when she was dancing, the singer was still on her mind.

"And what are the ways that you can't?" William asked the older woman.

"Someone who speaks more of her love language than I do. I mean, yes, we're both still learning each other's languages but what if someone comes along and speaks it better than I can? I couldn't be mad at her if she decided to choose the better option."

"Mhm. I get—."

The dancer cut their counselor off. "I'm sorry but no. We're going to address this before another question is asked. Baby, I will never choose another option. There is no better option. We're learning, yes, I agree with that but with learning comes bumps in the road. You're the only person that has ever tried to speak my love language without me feeling pressured or forced. I know when I'm in dance mode, I'm in dance mode, but you will always be the only person in the room that catches my eye. No matter what."

Janet smiled softly as her eyes averted towards her lap. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. Nobody will ever have the chance to know me as much as you know and are getting to know me. I promise you that. You will never have to ever worry about that."

"There it is." William sat with a smile on his end. He had finally broken through to them. "That's what healthy communication is. When your spouse expresses something and comes to you in a state of vulnerability, it is vital that you acknowledge them. Even if at times you don't agree, never ignore what they've said. Reassure. Apologize with genuine intentions. Then access the situation again. Don't let ego and pride into a relationship that you desire to last long term because the minute you do is the minute you sign your relationship away. Any other questions for each other?"

The duo took what he said and nodded. Mariah asked her girlfriend a question first. "Do you trust me?"

Janet didn't hesitate to respond. "Of course. Do you trust me?"

"Yeah..."

"That is a lie." The singer knew it was by Mariah's trailing of her answer. "You don't trust me?"

The younger woman nodded. "I do! I just don't trust Jermaine around you."

"That isn't a problem. I won't be around him anymore, that's been decided."

"Just like that?"

"Yes, just like that."

"Thank you." Mariah smiled softly at her girlfriend.

"See? Reassure, apologize and then access the situation." The man knew that now would be the time for them to be completely honest, so he urged them on. "Any thing else?"

Mariah shook her head but Janet cleared her throat signaling that there was in fact something else. "If I say this, I know you'll more than likely get upset with me but I'm just going to say it so we can go through the motions and get through it."

"Okay..." The younger woman's heart began to pound— her anxiety flaring.

"Sometimes I feel like we aren't going to make it far because we both work too much. I feel like I'm at a point where if I took a break from music, I'd be okay with it because I've been doing this for years, ya know? You just hit this point in the industry. Things are taking off for you. You're just getting started. So you can take a break but why would you? Everything's falling into place and— I don't know. Maybe I'm over thinking."

"Don't downplay your emotions. You're right, I do feel like this is only the beginning but if I do take a break whenever I come back things will still be in place. I just don't think we should rush things now. We should have this conversation when your residency ends and we're both back in LA. It's ways to make it work. We will go far. Don't get to getting cold feet on me now. We'll make it work. We've spent six months not talking, I'm not going to allow that to happen again. So we will figure it all out. Okay?"

The singer nodded. "You're right. Okay. We'll make it work."