23
Taylor
“Well, since you’re pregnant and you can’t take anything to help you sleep, try this. When you lie down at night, make sure it’s totally silent. Listen to your breathing and count every time you exhale.”
Taylor nodded. “Will do, Dr. Porter. At this point, I’m willing to try anything.”
“Try telling your husband,” the doctor quipped.
Since the shooting, sleep did not come easy. Because she didn’t want to worry Victor, almost every night, she pretended to be asleep. She’d wait until he fell asleep and sneak out of bed.
“With the election and this stupid investigation, he’s got enough to worry about.”
Dr. Porter uncrossed his leg and leaned back in the chair. “Taylor, I suspect that you’re more important to him than any of that.”
“I am,” she assured with a chuckle. “That’s exactly why I don’t want to bother him. He’ll drop every damn thing, probably try to rock me to sleep every night.”
The doctor laughed as he stood. “Talk to your husband,” he urged.
Taylor stood when he grabbed his briefcase from the table. “What I gotta talk to him for? I got you for that.”
“Mm-hm, okay. I’ll see you in a few days.”
Taylor walked him out of the den and down the hall. “Do you really think it’s necessary for us to meet twice a week?”
“Yep,” he affirmed. “For now, at least.”
Taylor said nothing as she walked him to the door. Maybe he was right. Maybe she did need to see him twice a week. So far, she’d only had two sessions. The first session, she’d behaved like a complete nutjob. The second one, she did her best to prove to him that she wasn’t a complete nutjob.
After they said their goodbyes, Taylor closed the door and headed to the kitchen. Emma was wiping down the sink. When she turned and noticed that Taylor had entered the room, she smiled.
“Can I fix you some lunch?”
“No, ma’am. Thank you. I just came to get some juice.” Taylor walked over to the fridge. She opened the door and searched for orange juice.
“We’re out.”
Taylor peeped around the refrigerator door. “Out of what?”
“We’re out of orange juice, only got apple and cranberry. I’ll pick some up from the market later.”
Emma was super sweet. At some point during every day, she did or said something to make Taylor smile.
“You’re a mind reader, Emma.”
“Don’t take a mind reader to know you like orange juice. The fact that it’s all gone is a clue.”
“Makes sense.” Taylor chuckled.
“How was your session with the doc?”
“Pretty good. I’m just glad he came back after I acted a whole fool.”
“A whole fool,” Emma teased.
Taylor laughed and grabbed an apple juice. She closed the fridge and threw a hand on her hip. “You gotta rub it in?”
“I’m just sayin’. I think the Governor was ready to bend you over his knee.”
