Linda sucked in her breath.
“Don’t tell me that’s exactly what you went through.”
She gulped down her tea.
Cosmo ran up to her, halting ten inches away. He purred a little.
“My parents had high expectations,” she said.
“And you were afraid not to meet them?”
Soft steps alerted me to Ange’s arrival. She had a yoga class for the seniors scheduled in the library and always came early for a chat and clearing the area.
I motioned her to sit down, next to Linda, and decided to follow my instinct. “How would you describe yourself? Thirty seconds, as many adjectives as you can think of. Close your eyes and go!”
Linda shut her eyes. “I’m wealthy, thin, blonde, married, I have a designer wardrobe, and a Lexus.” She faltered.
“Poor woman,” Ange mouthed.
I agreed. “But at your essence? What do you love, what are you passionate about, what gets you out of bed in the morning? Go!”
Linda’s lips moved. Not a single word came out. She opened her eyes. “I don’t understand the point of this.”
Cosmo bumped his head against my shin.
Gently, carefully, I cast a spell that would make Linda feel safe, and loved, if only for a few minutes. “What do you care about most?”
Her face went blank as the spell took hold. “My marriage. But I’m not sure if I can save it.”
“Why?” I signaled to Ange to stay silent.
“Garth wants me to go to therapy on my own.”
“He doesn’t want to do couple’s therapy?”
“Only when I’ve completed my own sessions. I think it’s an excuse for him.”
In my mind, I replayed the glance on her husband’s face when he saw Ange and Nick holding hands. “He loves you. Why does he think you need to see a therapist?”
“The woman who did our first couple’s session said so.”
“Because you don’t know who you are,” I guessed.
“That’s ridiculous. Everybody knows who I am.”
“Poor woman,” Ange repeated so low it was almost inaudible.
“What did you dream of, as a teenager, or a young woman?” I probed.
“Stupid, stupid stuff. My parents were right. Our kind of people doesn’t do these things.”
The words “our kind” rubbed me the wrong way but I ignored them for now. “Like what?”
“Like baking wedding cakes or taking art classes with nude models.” Her expression flickered between happy and desolate.
I expanded the spell a little, so she’d remember the emotions I hoped to create, and touched her hand. “Hey.”
She shook herself. “Did I nod off?”
