Hidden Behind Walls

Chapter 35: Dim Sum

I thought back to the past 3 weeks. It's probably been the most calm and relaxed I'd been my whole life. There was something monotonous about having to deal with abuse regularly, and now it felt like maybe I could do everything and anything. So that's what I told him. He respectively took more notes.

"So Dr. Sibisi, how's your life?" I question.

"This isn't my therapy session." He chuckles.

"I know, but you're wearing a ring now. So, I'm thinking that I've either been oblivious and self-absorbed for the past 5 months or you eloped and didn't think to tell me." I comment. Dr. Sibisi laughed.

"It's the latter." He says with a shrug.

"So your wife probably isn't gonna be happy with moving just so I get to keep you as a psychiatrist." I sigh. It was too good to be true.

"She's been bouncing all over the world for most of her life. I think she'll be fine with one more move."

"Seriously? Tell her I say thank you."

Dr. Sibisi shrugs, "She'll just say it's another reason to buy new furniture. Anyway, I want to talk to you about your tic."

I cocked my head to the side. I had a tic?
"You running your fingers through your hair." Dr. Sibisi says pointedly. He even demonstrated the motion. My fingers twitch, and I have to mentally tell myself not to do the motion as he mentions it.

"Well, it's not necessarily a tic. It's more of an action you unknowingly perform to ease any stress you have. Many people have actions they do during stressful situations, like popping their knuckles or wringing their wrists. However, yours seems to be rooted with your anxiety."

"Yeah...I guess. Raven says I do it all the time when I'm stressing."

"Well, she's right. So I'm gonna give you the ultimatum to stop running your fingers through your hair, and do something else when you're stressed. Here."

Dr. Sibisi fishes out a little red ball, and tosses it to me.

"You're giving me a stress ball?"

"Don't knock it till you try it." He says with a shrug.

I laugh, and grab my bag as the clock ticks to signal the end of the session. I leave the building, keeping my head down I try to bustle out of the heavily congested area. My phone dinged the familiar "bing" notifying me of a message.

❤️ Raven
Meet at Bien Tsui Bakery

I'm smiled, and looked around my surroundings. This hotel was in at the edge of Nob Hill, so it wouldn't be that bad of a walk. It took me maybe 10 minutes to make it there.

Raven stood outside the place, her eyes glued on her phones screen. She tugged mindlessly at the yellow, cropped tank, it had "CTRL" stitched into the center in white lettering, which adorned her body. There wasn't much room for her on the bustling street, and I could see her shifting the weight between her vans clad feet. I was only a few feet away when she noticed me.

"Bugaboo!" She exclaimed, running to me. She slammed into me, and I wrapped my arms her waist.

"You're a bit loud, doll." I laugh.

"Shit, I was wasn't I." She looked behind her with a grimace at the onlookers who were glancing at us.

"I'm just so excited for some dim sum." She whispered into my ear.

"I can see that."

"But you have to try them. Ruri brought me, and I teared up a little." She had such a serious expression on her face that I had to believe that the dim sum was that good here. She brushed a stray hair that'd been falling into my face aside.