Once Matthew closed his door, Julio dialed Dr. Claire Meyers.
“Hello, Julio,” she greeted him. “How can I help you?”
“It’s about Rebecca,” he blurted out. Hearing her heavy sigh, he rushed, “I know you can’t break patient confidentiality. I have some questions.”
“I can only answer them if they remain vague,” she warned him.
“Rebecca’s not attending therapy sessions, yet she insists everyone else goes. She even escorts Kara to hers and waits. She’s still on duty. She hasn’t spoken to me since I referred to her as a victim. She insisted the women were. How do I handle this?” Julio pleaded. “I can’t help her if I don’t know how.”
“I can’t give you advice. The therapists report to me,” Claire paused. “Taco may be able to advise you as a friend. Good luck, Julio,” she said before disconnecting the call.
Julio stared at the phone. Not having anything to lose, he called Taco.
“How’s it going, Julio?”
“Hey, Taco,” Julio greeted him nervously. “Look I know we aren’t…”
“Ask, I’ll help any way I can,” Taco assured him.
“I called Claire, but she can’t talk to me and referred me to you. I need help with Rebecca,” Julio said, feeling at a loss.
Taco went silent for a moment. “I’m not sure if this will help you or not. You and I love two hard-headed women. When Rahimi shot Tess, I spent days not knowing if she’d live or die. I imagine you know how that feels. When Tess woke and discovered she was paralyzed, she pushed me away. Nothing I did seemed to fix things, despite the harder I tried.”
“I know how that feels,” Julio said, feeling discouraged.
“Listen, I have the biggest support system around and I struggled, too, man,” Taco admitted. “Tess didn’t want me to know what she went through. Her anxiety and fear took over and we didn’t communicate.”
“How can I talk to her if she avoids me?” Julio asked in despair. “I’m desperate to make her feel safe and all I seem to do is make her more nervous.”
“Patience, brother. Plain, damn patience,” Taco emphasized. “No matter what Rebecca’s head tells her, her body’s still in flight and fight mode.”
“I’m not giving up on her,” Julio said. “Honestly, I guess I didn’t expect her to feel afraid of me. It took me by surprise.”
“Dude, do you have a dick? Then she doesn’t want anything to do with you. It’s not about you, Julio. This was the hardest part for me to understand. I planned to spend my life with Tess. We told each other everything, and then it stopped,” Taco said glumly.
“How do I help her if she can’t stand to be near me?” he asked quietly.
“Sometimes, you have to let her go. Give her space and let her breathe without adding the pressure of what you two used to have,” Taco advised.
“Does it work? I’m willing to try anything,” he said desperately.
“I can’t promise you, brother,” Taco admitted. “Rebecca survived, but she’s got demons to slay. You have a tough woman who has endured something no person should have to suffer. Sometimes they must battle the demons on their own before they can see you.”
Julio sighed. “I’m concerned about her avoiding therapy.”
“Rebecca survived by taking care of everyone else. If she loses her ability to care for them, it might break her,” Taco warned him. “Rebecca’s a strong woman and she has proven her strength. Give her time and space, but it doesn’t mean you can’t let her know you’re there. Check on her, take her a cup of coffee, or ask if she needs anything.”
“I feel like she sees me coming and hides,” he confessed.
“You’re an FBI Agent. Don’t you guys have some surveillance skills? Use them when she least expects it,” Taco advised. “Don’t go crazy and spook her. Just let her know you’re there.”
“Thanks, Taco. I’ll give it a try,” he said before hanging up.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
On the following day, Julio glanced at his watch. He knew Rebecca planned to escort Kara to her counseling session in thirty minutes. Rising from his chair, he entered the kitchen and plucked a handful of cookies from Delaney’s homemade stash. He searched for a thermos and found one. Recalling how Rebecca enjoyed those fancy iced coffees, he opened the fridge and searched for the ingredients.
He picked up a carton of heavy cream and then a version of a lite one when Rachel entered the room.
