My eyes almost bugged out, but Rip just laughed like it was nothing. “Aunt Grace,” he said. “You’re going to scare him away.”
She laughed to herself as she took a seat at the small table. “Rippy, honey, if something in these apartments is going to scare him away, trust me, it won’t be me.”
I fumbled awkwardly with my cup of coffee. “Good to see you again, Grace. What do you have going on today?”
“Oh, not much, sweetie. Just a regular rainy day, I suppose.”
“We have that appointment with Dr. Campbell later,” Rip said. “Don’t forget.”
“Dr. Campbell?” I asked. “Olivia Campbell?” Immediately, my hand shot over my mouth. Even if it was the same psychiatrist, I wasn’t sure that was something she would want to discuss, especially not over breakfast.
“Olivia Campbell, that’s right,” Grace said. “You know her?”
I nodded quickly. “She was my doctor,” I said. “She helped me through a difficult time in my life.” I turned my eyes to Rip, but he was facing the stove, and I couldn’t read his expression. I hadn’t told him the full extent of what it had taken me to recover from the bullying, and that morning, I felt a weird urge to protect him from the truth, like I needed it to stay in the past.
“You hear that, Rip?” Grace said. “A ringing endorsement for Dr. Campbell.” She shook her head. “I like her, don’t get me wrong. I’m just a bit skeptical of psychiatry.”
“Aunt Grace had another doctor,” Rip said, turning from the stove. “But they just wanted to medicate her.”
I nodded, remembering how long it had taken my mother and me to find the right person to help me out. “Medication is important,” I said. “But it can’t solve the whole problem for most people. Dr. Campbell helped me deal with what was upsetting me in the first place. The medication just helped me through the anxiety and panic until I had the rest of it under control.”
Grace pursed her lips and nodded her head. “Good to know,” she said. “Maybe I won’t fake a headache to skip the appointment after all.”
I laughed. “I used to do the same thing,” I acknowledged.
Rip came over to the table, depositing a plate of toast. His brow was furrowed, and I wondered if he was putting the pieces together and realizing why I had seen Dr. Campbell in the first place. With Grace smiling and chatting, however, the moment quickly passed.
I didn’t know Grace’s story, outside of the little bits of information they had all shared with me. Still, this thread of connection felt important to me, and when Grace extended her hand, I took it with a soft squeeze. I was with people who understood me, I realized, and I knew that was a rare thing.
We hung out downstairs for a while, enjoying the breakfast and chatting about music. I told Grace about my childhood love of Heart, and she told me a wild story about running into the Wilson sisters who fronted the band while she was on tour with Kiss one summer. The conversation came so naturally, I ended up downing two cups of coffee and bouncing around in my chair without even realizing it. But still, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the concern that clouded Rip’s face and the distraction in his eyes.
“I should get back upstairs,” Rip said after washing the plates. “I have some stuff to get done before your appointment this afternoon.”
Grace and I said our goodbyes, and she winked when she told me she hoped to share another breakfast soon, reminding me how few secrets they must keep in their family. Out on the front porch, I adjusted my glasses, then prepared to say goodbye to Rip and to tear myself away from the warm feeling in their house.
“Come back up,” he said, pressing his hand against my cheek. “Mars should be waking soon. I understand if you need to get your day started, of course, but I’m sure he would love to see you, especially considering the night we had.”
I swallowed, still surprised to hear him talk about the night like it was special for the two of them, the same as it was for me. I almost declined, feeling like I would be in the way, but a part of me I couldn’t deny wanted to see Mars again, and to touch his body once more, and know that he was still there, just like Rip was touching me.
“Okay,” I said. “Sure. I can hang out a bit more.”
“Good,” Rip said. “That’s good.”
And as we walked back up the stairs, I realized how true that was. I still had a lot of questions and a lot of uncertainty about what might lie ahead. But that morning, joining Mars and Rip in the apartment they shared and full of breakfast and conversation with Grace, I knew that Rip was right.
Things were good, and I felt a wave of pride, remembering all the progress I had made since I first saw Dr. Campbell. When we stepped inside, I grabbed my phone from the kitchen table. There were messages from Ezra and Valeria, asking about my night, but I pushed them both aside to answer later, and opened a new message.
Hi Mom! I’ve got some news to share with you. I’m finally starting to date, and I think I might have found something special. Will you be around later for a phone call?
