Page 73 of Mia

I carried her into the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of water before heading back upstairs. Mia had put on her robe and was pulling the sheets off the bed. Bleu damn near tried to jump out of my arms as I approached her.

“Damn, Bleu,” I said, handing her over. “She’s okay. You ain’t gotta do all that.”

Mia giggled. “She just loves her mama, don’t you, Bleu?”

She cradled the dog against her chest, and Bleu laid there content.

I shook my head. “Rotten ass dog.”

“She’s not rotten. She’s just a baby. My baby until I have another.”

I stared at her for a moment. “You want another baby?”

We hadn’t discussed trying again after what happened. I didn’t know if or when she’d be open to it, but I was hopeful.

She nodded. “When this is over, we’re settled back here, and the time is right, I want to try again. I promise I’ll listen and do everything I’m supposed to do this time. I just. . .” She lovingly rubbed Bleu’s cheek as she stared at her. “I do want to be a mom and I want to do it the right way.”

I pulled her into my arms and pecked her lips. “We can work toward that,” I said. “I’m gonna be right at your side.”

She rested her head against my chest. For the longest time, we stood in the middle of that room in silence. Nothing needed to be said.

“Well, who is this cutie pie!” Dr. Baxter asked, scratching behind Bleu’s ears.

“This is Bleu,” I said, hugging her to me. “Titan stole her from his parents.”

“I didn’t steal her,” he protested. “I re-homed her. There’s a difference.”

Dr. Baxter chuckled. “Either way, she’s adorable. You seem attached to her.”

“She’s become my emotional support animal.”

She smiled. “Those are important relationships. Service animals provide comfort, companionship, and stability, especially to those to people with mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, and PTSD. I know most people think they aren’t necessary if they aren’t for medical use, but that is the furthest thing from the truth. They significantly help with reducing loneliness, lowering stress, boosting ‘happy hormones’, providing routine, and improving your overall daily functioning. I find that the unconditional love and presence they provide is such a powerful addition to traditional treatments.”

I nodded. “She gives me another reason to get out of bed in the morning.”

“How are you feeling mentally?”

I sighed. “I’m getting there. Trying to get back into old routines to feel like me. I went out by myself the other night.”

“How was that for you?”

I looked at Titan and he looked at me. Dr. Baxter raised an eyebrow.

“What’s that look?” she asked. “Did something happen?”

I cleared my throat. “Well. . . I was minding my business when this man came over trying to get at me. I told him I was married, showed him my ring and all, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Titan just so happened to show up and overheard the exchange. Things got a little heated.”

“By heated, you mean?”

“I beat his ass for calling my wife out of her name,” Titan answered.

Dr. Baxter palmed her face. “As a married woman, I commend you for defending your wife’s honor. As your therapist, you know you could have handled it better. Sometimes, we feel like disrespect warrants hands being thrown. Trust me, I’ve been there in a former life. But as your therapist, I implore you not to resort to violence if possible. You’ve stated that your relationship was toxic before. We’re trying to move forward.”

Titan sighed. “I get that, Doc, but I’m not about to let blatant disrespect fly at any time.”

“It’s a work in progress,” Dr. Baxter said. “Next time, remove yourselves from the conflict before it escalates. Now, how are you feeling, Titan? Mia has Bleu to help her cope. What do you have?”

He shrugged. “I mean, I have her. My parents. My best friend and her sister. They’ve been my backbone this whole time. They were the people I went to when things blew up between Mia and I. There was no judgment, just support.”