Phoenix (Editing)

Chapter 16 *Edited*

It was so quiet that Claire could hear the seconds literally ticking by on the analog clock hanging from the wall. She stared at her therapist. The short, reddish-blonde woman sat across from her, one leg over the other and stared back. The woman tapped her pen to the note pad in her lap.

"So, Claire? What do you think the dreams mean?" Dr. Swan asked her.

Claire stood up and flopped her hands in frustration. "I don't know. You're the shrink. You tell me."

The woman raised an eyebrow and adjusted her spectacles on the bridge of her nose before reviewing her notes. "We really don't like that word." She began, referring to Claire's use of the word shrink. "I think your dreams may mean that subconsciously at least, you're ready to move on with your life and truly start your journey towards healing."

Claire pouted and crossed her arms angrily. "Isn't that what I've been doing for the past five years? Healing?" She spat the last word.

"Yes. And you've made significant progress, but healing comes in stages. One is never truly done."

"So, you're saying I'm going to be damaged forever?" Claire turned to look out of the window.

"I don't like the term 'damaged'."

Claire scoffed with her back still to the woman. Outside a man was picking up after his dog on their afternoon walk. "What do you like?"

"I like you. And I want to continue to help you."

Claire turned around flustered. "It's just that Pierce popping up in my dreams is throwing me off."

"He's becoming a big part of your life in a very short amount of time." Dr. Swan observed.

"I don't know how to deal with it. He's always there. And it doesn't help that my family all know about and are rooting for him."

"By all accounts, he seems like a good man."

"Seems!" Claire seethed. Deep down she knew that she trusted Pierce and it scared her witless. How could she trust again so completely after what happened to her? To her boys? "Everyone seems great until they aren't."

"Life is about taking chances, Claire. You can't hide from it."

"I take chances."

"Sure. With school and charity and work, but we both know the last time you really took a personal chance. It was beyond devastating, but you cannot let that keep holding you back. I know that you are frightened of being hurt again, but you are a resilient woman. It takes a strong person to come back from what you did and here you are standing before me."

Claire had lived, but until recently she hadn't felt like she'd survived. Not until Pierce. The thought made her uncomfortable. She did not want to be that dependent on a man again and she said as much.

"There's nothing wrong with depending on people. You depend on your family and friends all the time."

"It's different."

"Because you're falling for him?"

Claire turned and looked at the other woman in shock. "I never said such a thing." She sputtered.

Dr. Swan just smiled. Claire panicked internally. Was it that obvious? It had been two months since she'd disastrously tried to end things with Pierce, and he'd refused. They'd still been seeing each other, but true to his word, Pierce backed off. She didn't spend days on end at his place and vice versa. The sleepovers were limited to the weekends.

Pierce had been over one day when Marcy had come to visit with baby Maya. Seeing him with the child sent a pang of longing through Claire she hadn't expected. He'd been amazing with the little girl and Claire just knew he'd make a wonderful father one day. She'd quickly cut those thoughts off because that way lay danger.