Record of Wrongs

Chapter 17.

Jax

Today was Ari's first therapy appointment, and I think I was more nervous than she was about it. Since the moment I woke up I have been running around the house like a chicken with my head cut off. I was determined to keep a stress-free environment for Ari so that she would be able to go into therapy without worrying about anything. Especially since I insisted on keeping the kids while she went.

I could have very well asked my mom to babysit for an hour or two, but I didn't want to tell her about Ari seeing a therapist. I didn't think she'd understand, and I didn't want her giving me or Ari her two cents.

Gemma came from a time when going to therapy was unheard of. People dealt with their emotional issues by burying them or acting like they didn't exist. My mom wouldn't be able to truly understand Ari's need for therapy, and I didn't want her to give her any advice that may steer her away from it. Ari and my kids were my top priority right now, and I didn't want my mom taking over when nothing was stopping me from being present.

Thankfully, Opie reassured me that he'd be fine at the table today, and would put out any fires without me. I was more than sure that things would be fine, so I wasn't really worried about the club.

My attention was on Ari who was currently sitting at the breakfast table feeding Olivia, while I sat at her side with the manual pump in my hand. I thought the interaction would be a lot more awkward, but she didn't seem bothered by me sitting there, so I guess that's progress.

"Did she run out of milk already?" Ari asked me as I packed up her milk for Olivia.

"Yeah, I guess she was hungry," I said avoiding her stare. Ari looked surprised by that because she had pumped a lot of milk and put it in the fridge. I didn't want to tell her that I had mistaken that milk for regular milk and put it in my coffee. 

The taste was a bit off, slightly sweeter than the milk I was used to and I thought that the milk was going bad. That was until Abel giggled and Olivia looked so traumatized that I realized what I was drinking. Needless to say, Olivia lost a lot of milk that day and I lost my ability to speak.

"Alright, you ready to go?" I asked in an attempt to get us on the road. Ari's appointment was at twelve, and I wanted to get on the road before the traffic made the streets unbearable.

"I guess now is as good a time as any," Ari said sadly. She seemed disappointed that we were actually going through with therapy, because I'm sure she would have much rathered I forgot about the whole thing, but I just couldn't let that happen.

So, I called Wendy and had her find the best therapist in Charming. It was a doctor by the name of Rosanne Tucker, and she worked at St. Thomas. I was very hesitant about taking Ari anywhere near St. Thomas, but Wendy reassured me that Tucker was the best.

My other options would have been two male doctors or driving my whole family into Oakland. Given Ari's confession when I was cutting her hair, I thought she'd be better suited with a woman. Also, given our rocky history with the Niners, I didn't want to drive into Oakland with my family, especially without protection. So, I agreed to Doctor Tucker for now as long as she'd be able to effectively communicate with Ari.

I ran everything by Ari as well, but she didn't have much of an opinion considering that she didn't really want to go. She knew she had to go in order to get better for herself and our kids, but she also came from a family where therapy was taboo, so she was comfortable with someone else taking the reins. I was just glad that she was willing to go, as long as she kept this attitude I wouldn't mind handling Tara while she went to her sessions.

Although, my attitude quickly changed the closer we got to St. Thomas. The possibility of Ari and Tara interacting was much too great, so instead of just dropping her off like I originally planned. I parked the car and walked her to her session with our kids in tow.