“I have enough drama in my own love life.” She laughed. “Y’all are my little Sims family, and I refuse to watch both of y’all self-destruct because neither one of you wants to sit still and have a hard conversation.”
She exhaled. “I’m calling Kairo.”
“What?”
“Yes,” she said. “Because clearly y’all cannot communicate without emotions hijacking common sense. I already have someone coming to your house tonight. A mediator, professional, and someone who’s neutral. And don’t you dare send her home.”
I sniffed.
“Because if I have to turn this car around and come back there… I’m whooping both of y’all asses.”
A laugh escaped me.
“Go home,” she said softer. “Sit down. Stop assuming. Stop reacting. Stop running.”
“You broke something. He broke something. Now both of y’all gotta come together to rebuild it.”
“Okay.”
“I’m calling him now.”
The line disconnected.
Part Three
The mind is a beautiful servant but a dangerous master. Until you become self-aware enough to challenge your own thoughts, take accountability, and speak the truths you fear most, the games will never stop. Healing begins the moment you stop believing every thought that makes your pain feel reasonable.
28
Khloe
The house was so silent that we could literally hear each other thinking. Kairo and I sat on opposite ends of the couch in the den, closer than we wanted but far enough that two full-grown adults could’ve sat comfortably between us. Our bodies faced forward, but everything else about us felt turned away from each other. The distance wasn’t just physical. It was emotional, mental, and spiritual.
I stared straight ahead, afraid to look at him for too long because every time I did, my chest tightened.
How is this my husband?
This isn’t the man who promised me forever.
This isn’t the man I fell in love with.
Or maybe… we just weren’t the same people anymore.
Across from us sat a woman who had walked into our home smiling, completely unaware of the emotional hurricane she had stepped into.
She was beautiful. Black hair with blonde highlights framing her face, soft makeup, calm eyes that felt observant without feeling invasive. She looked like nothing we said could surprise her. She was in for a rude awakening, I thought.
Thank God for Coffee and Niv. The moment Coffee heard my voice earlier, she went into full command mode. Within an hour, Niv had come to pick up Kennedi.
“You two need no distractions,” Coffee had said firmly. “This is the time to finally lay everything on the table.”
I hated how serious that sounded. Laying everything on the table meant admitting that something in our marriage had broken badly enough to need outside help.
The woman cleared her throat gently. Kairo and I looked up at the same time. She had already taken off her bag and placed it neatly beside her chair. A notebook rested in her lap and a pen in her hand.
“I know you’re probably not excited to see me,” she said smiling “Because who really wants to sit down and talk about things as tough as marriage?”
My heart started racing immediately. I didn’t do therapy. I didn’t believe I needed fixing. Yet there I was, sitting across from a licensed professional in my own home because my marriage had reached a place where love alone wasn’t enough anymore.
