Jess nodded. “I have thought about it. I went to that one woman once a few years ago, but she wasn’t a good fit for me,” Jess said, not wanting to admit that the fee wasn’t a good fit for her bank account. “Honestly though, I’m sure they have patients with much bigger problems than what I’m dealing with.”
“Do you hear yourself right now?” Rach asked, squinting at her. “You don’t want to book an appointment in case you’d be taking therapy away from someone more deserving.”
Jessica picked up her glass so she could avoid her friend’s look of disappointment and had a big sip of what was supposed to be a fun drink on a fun day out.
“I think Diana’s right. Maybe you would really benefit from going to talk to someone who can help you figure out how to get unstuck.”
Nodding, Jess said, “Yeah, maybe.”
“Not maybe. Do it, Jess. For yourselfandfor your family,” Rachael said. “You can’t go on living like this indefinitely.”
Jess nodded again. “Okay, I’ll try to find someone.”
“Don’t just try. Actually find someone,” Rachael told her. “Maybe if Ted had done that, he wouldn’t have wound up screwing Yoga Pants and screwing up our lives.”
“I’m not going to have an affair,” Jess said, her head snapping back.
“We know you’re not,” Diana said. “We’re just saying that when one parent is struggling, it’s hard to create a happy family life. And, in the end, isn’t that what you want?”
What Jesswantedwas to have a fun day out with her friends, gossiping and eating. But apparently that wasn’t on the menu today.
6
"The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they're OK, then it's you."
~ Rita Mae Brown
The rest of the brunch had been better. Neither Diana nor Rachael said anything when Destiny came back to the table and Jess neglected to mention the missing potatoes. They also moved onto some safe topics—how sick to death they all were of trying to come up with healthy suppers every night, their ever-expanding waists in spite of them all having cut calories (or so they assumed), and Thanksgiving, which would be upon them before they knew it.
By the time they paid for their meals (tipping Destiny well), and said their goodbyes, Jessica’s mood was much improved. She felt lighter, and, as she walked in the sunshine to the Trader Joe’s parking lot, she decided that she would find a therapist. After all, she’d tried everything else and hadn’t gotten any results. Why not do the obvious (albeit, expensive) thing?
As soon as she got in the car, Jess checked her messages. Urg. She’d missed seven texts, three from Mike, three from Noah, and one from her mom (who was just texting to say hello and ask if she had made it out for brunch). She wrote her back immediately:Yup! Just leaving now. Had a great time. Hope you’re having a terrific Sunday.
Mike: Hey Jess, any chance you’ll be home by one? And if so, would you mind picking up some beef jerky and chips for the game? We don’t have any for some reason.
Noah: Mom, can you drive me to Liam’s? Dad said no, but we’re supposed to work on our science project.
Noah: Mom, what time will you be home?
Mike: Did Noah text you about getting a ride to Liam’s? Because the answer is no. It’s a beautiful day so I told him to bike over.
Mike: Forget about stopping at the store. I wound up going myself.
Noah: Don’t worry about the ride, Mom. Liam’s coming to our house instead. Can he stay for supper?
Shit.The last thing Jessica felt like doing was hosting. She could feel the post-bellini headache coming on, and all she wanted to do was lie on the couch and close her eyes while Mike watched football. But then Liam would probably go home and tell his parents that she was sick or lazy or hungover, which she wasn’t. She’d only had two drinks. Although her headache was alcohol-related, it wasn’t like she’d been day drunk.
No, she wouldn’t lie around. She’d go home, drink a giant glass of water, pop an Advil, and get some laundry done. She’d also dig around in the freezer for something to cook for dinner. Did she still have that Shepherd’s Pie she bought at the farmer’s market that time or had they eaten it? She was sure they had eaten it.
Grabbing her purse off the passenger’s seat, she hurried into the store to grab something quick to make. This would also lessen her guilt about using a spot in their parking lot. A few minutes later, she was back in her car with a meat lasagna, a Caesar salad, and a loaf of garlic bread. There, dinner was done. No thinking, chopping, or stirring required.
Her phone rang as soon as she pulled out onto the freeway. It was Mike. Jess pushed the button on her steering wheel to answer. “How’s the game?”
“The bad guys are ahead,” he answered, sounding grumpy.
“Nuts,” she said, good-naturedly. “Let’s hope they’ll make a spectacular comeback.”
“There’s only four minutes left and they’re down by twenty-one points, so I’m not holding out too much hope.” He paused, and she could hear the announcer yelling excitedly in the background. “Damn,” Mike muttered. “Anyway, I was just checking to see if you were planning on coming home anytime soon. Noah invited Liam over for supper and I wasn’t sure if you had anything planned for supper or not.”
