"What would you do, Dad? Say I did love Dr. Mercer. Would you kill him and take him away from me like you took the others?"
My mouth turns dry. I swallow, but the lump stays lodged in my throat.
Skylar interjects, "Blue, your father loves you. So do I."
"No one said you don't," she retorts.
"We both want the best for you. Nothing less. It's normal for a father to be overprotective. Isn't it, Dr. Mercer?" She turns her pleading eyes on me.
I clear my throat. "Yes. It is. And while I understand, from a parental perspective, your desire to protect Blue, she sees it differently. Blue, can you look at things from your parents' point of view?"
She looks at her hands and twists them in her lap.
"You're my daughter. I love you. Tell me you know that," Adrian begs.
She looks at him tearfully and quietly says, "I know."
I let more silence settle, then declare, "I think we should move on from this for now. Have either of you noticed changes in Blue recently?"
Skylar nods. "She's…calmer. Focused. Sleeping more, but then at times...not." Her brows draw together, and her eyes flick between us, the corners of her mouth tightening as if she's bracing for what comes next.
"Improvements that come and go usually mean the coping strategy is working, but it's fragile."
Adrian drags a hand through his hair. "So she's still going to hurt herself?"
I turn to Blue. "Are you going to? Answer honestly."
She takes a breath, then looks at me. "I'm not sure. I'm trying not to."
Tension fills the air.
"How is therapy working if she still wants to hurt herself?" Adrian asks.
I answer, "Because progress doesn't always look like relief at first. Sometimes it looks like disruption."
Blue's foot taps once.
I catch it and gently remark, "Blue, you seem agitated."
Her eyes flash. "No, I'm not."
I counter, "You are. And that tells me we're touching something important."
Adrian exhales. "I want to know what happens next."
"So do I," Skylar adds quietly.
I nod. "Next, we slow this down. We establish clearer boundaries. We increase family involvement. And we ensure Blue's safety outside this room."
Blue's eyes turn to slits. She accuses, "You're changing the rules."
"How?"
"We increase family involvement?"
"Yes."
Her gaze sharpens, just as dangerous as Adrian's. "I don't need my parents breathing down my neck!" She jumps up and picks up the hourglass. The last of the sand falls. She watches it, then flips it back.
