Taking It

3.3

Despite the dock being slightly the wrong shade of color I am still proud that I finished. I missed painting and I want nothing more than to go back home and paint something else, but I need to finish my reviews first.

"It's beautiful just the way it is." Doctor Fishermen comments, bringing my gaze towards her.

"Thank you." I mutter and she gives me a soft nod.

"How are things Charlotte?" Tugging her shirt, she crosses her legs over the other, lacing her fingers against her knee.

"Things are really good." My smile stretches. This is the truth and can't be closer to it even if it tried.

"And things with Calvin?" At this my smile falls. I don't get the chance to answer. "Are you still avoiding him?" She chortles and I nod my head, feeling my stomach knot itself. "I think its time you tell him."

"Tell him what?" I furrow my brows at her and she places her hand in her lap.

"That the relationship you guys are in is destroying you Charlotte." At her own words she frowns.

"How is—"

"As soon as I mentioned him the smile on your face fell. Usually at the mention of a significant other one's smile would widen. It's clear that you aren't happy in this relationship with Calvin and I don't want you to waste anymore time jeopardizing your happiness."

"I'm working on it. I just...i needed time to myself for a while." I curl my fingers into my palm, willing my heart to calm down.

"You can do that, i'm all for it but maybe you guys need a little bit of time apart. From what you've told me I don't think this relationship is the best for you." She clicks her pen against the clipboard.

"Calvin, he's..he's going through somethings." I sigh, sagging my shoulders.

"That gives him no excuse to treat you the way that he does. Charlotte, you're falling down the same path your mother had." Her words bite at my skin. "She missed the warning signs, but you...you notice them and chose to ignore them."

"My relationship with Calvin is nothing like my mothers." The words come up and out, lodging a lump in my throat in the process. "I would never stay with him if it was."

Doctor Fishermen just barely opens her mouth to speak but what she is going to say she decides against it, sparing me.

"Have you gone to see Taylor?" She adverts her gaze to her clipboard, writing something down. I stay silent. She nods her head understandingly. I prepare myself to be lectured on going to see him but it never comes, instead the timer goes off and she looks up at me while simultaneously turning it off. "You're doing great Charlotte and it pains me to say that our last few sessions are rapidly approaching."

My eyes widen at the news.

"Wh-what?" I blink once, twice, and she lifts her gaze up to meet me.

"Your fathers seems to think that you're doing a lot better and wants to limit our session down to once a month." She gives me a soft smile and I take a deep breath. "What day of the month you want to meet up is strictly up to you of course."

"What do you think?" I lean a forward a bit and her eyes fall to my chest. At first I am concerned as to why she's smiling but when I realize that I am twisting Taylor's gift between my fingers I drop my hand, cheeks blooming in heat.

"I think that once you admit to yourself whatever it is you're refusing to acknowledge, our sessions will no longer be needed because you will have someone else to confide in and help you." She lifts her gaze back up to my face, her smile widening. Even though I want her to say that she thinks that I need to continue on with my twice a week sessions I can't help but feel that she is right, the meaning behind her words not lost on me.

• — • — •

"I like this therapist of yours." Brooke comments as we leave out of the cafe and towards her car.

This morning she surprised me saying she was driving me to school, her reasoning being she wanted to stop and get a apple cider donut from the cafe and my house was along the way. I didn't protest because she offered to buy me a blueberry muffin and english breakfast tea.

"I bet you do." I snort, pulling open the passenger door of her car. "She wants me to break up with the one guy you hate." I slide into the car she follows my lead into the drivers seat.

"That's not the only reason why I like her." She snorts right back, settling her pumpkin spice coffee into the cup holder. Its aroma fills the car and my stomach twist in distaste. I'm not a fan of anything pumpkin flavored and the smell alone makes me sick.

Ignoring the feeling in my gut I turn to give her a gaze that's to say 'really now'. She notices and lets out a huff, rolling her eyes.

"Okay maybe that is the only reason I like her. Can you blame me? She's a part of Team Taylor." A bright smile spreads across her face and its my turn to roll my eye as I dig my muffin out of my bag.

"Actually she's all for Team Charlie. She even quoted Justin Bieber and told me to go love myself." I peel away the wrapping and lick my lips hungrily.

"She does know that Justin is basically saying that, that girl is a bitch and that seeming she doesn't appreciate her boyfriend so she can go love herself because he's done putting up with her." Brooke sets her baggie of apple cider donuts next to her coffee and sticks the key into the ignition.

I let out a soft chortle. "She was more focus on the positive side of his words,  i.e loving myself."

"I meme I guess." Brooke sighs, pulling the car out of park and into reverse.

"Did you just say meme instead of mean?" I laugh, this gets her lips up into a smile.

"Why of course, clever huh?" She wiggles her eyebrows as she constantly check her mirrors while she's backing out of the parking space.

"I meme I guess."