The Doctor

30

The therapist's office was bright and colourful, it felt relaxing to be there and Anna was glad that she was going back there, she had counted down the days until her third appointment. This therapist, Mark, hadn't made her relive any of her traumas, instead, he helped her through what was going on now, touching on Josh only lightly because he knew how it made Anna feel. Anna walked with Stella to his office, holding onto her hand and ignoring looks that Stella clung onto, she felt better, she really did. She had sat with her mum for a full day when it was raining and looked through pictures of Josh and her, they both cried, Phillipa apologised to Anna and so did Alex, it left her feeling so much lighter and she understood more. Mark was an older man, about 50, he had a fatherly nature and shared his own stories to make the environment comforting. When Anna was in his office she felt as if she could let down the weak facade and act how she really felt, quite miserable. 

"Did you do what I told you to do last week?" Mark asked in their appointment.

Anna sighed and shook her head. "I'm scared."

"I know, take your time but I think you need to do it."

"Yeah, I know I need to do it, but I'm... scared," Anna repeated, looking up into Mark's eyes.

He nodded. "Going back to the place something traumatic happened can be difficult, but in most cases, it offers closure and takes a lot of weight off shoulders. And, you're not going to the hospital, you're going to the spot where Josh was mugged."

Anna nodded and looked at the clock, she was going to the beach with Stella on the one sunny day they'd had in their whole time here. There were only five minutes left, maybe Mark would let her go early. "Maybe I should go to the hospital?"

"You can go there too if you want to, I don't want to push you too far." He paused and smiled. "How's Stella? What's she up to now?"

"She's at home with Dad, they're building something for birds or something. We're going to the beach later."

"And sex life?"

Anna blushed, Mark wasn't being pervy, he noticed patterns in behave of everyday life and sex was linked to a lot of helpful things that could help him help Anna. "Quite active."

"Once a week? Twice?"

Anna blushed heavily. "Every..." she cleared her throat. "Everyday lately."

"Ok, well that's fine, good." He wrote something down. "Is Stella happy here in Australia? Has she mentioned going back to America?"

"I think she's happy, the novelty hasn't worn off of being in a new country, but she hasn't mentioned going back, I think she's worried if she says something it'll upset me."

"You should ask her." Mark stood up, so did Anna, the appointment was over. "Ask her to tell you the truth about whether she wants to stay here for longer and how long."

"I will. Thanks, Mark." Anna headed out of the office and to the reception, paying for her appointment before heading outside to wait for Stella. She sat down on the park bench and pulled out her phone.

"Hey, hottie." Stella stopped in front of her, dress and sunglasses on and beach bag over one arm. "You ready?"

"Yeah." Anna stood up and grabbed her hand.

"How'd it go?"

"Good, we need to stop somewhere on the way home."

"Oh. What for?"

"Just something I've been needing to do for a while."

They'd gone to the beach for three hours, lying in the sand and swimming in the cold water. It was very quiet, people were all at work and the ones on the beach weren't concerned with Anna and Stella kissing under the sun. In the water they were alone, floating beside each other, Anna slipping her hand down Stella's bikini bottoms, Stella clinging to Anna's hips as they washed down the beach. They walked home after the beach, sunburnt but happy, licking icecreaming and holding hands, Stella was doing her best to ignore the stares that people gave them as they passed.

"Where'd you want to go?" Stella said, remembering what Anna had said earlier.

"Oh." Anna had forgotten the whole thing, she didn't want to do it, but she knew that she'd only keep putting it off. "Down here." She turned down a street to the left.

Stella held onto Anna's hand quietly, not asking anything because of how Anna was acting, more out of it than usual and clinging onto Stella's elbow with her other free hand tightly. It had gotten cold and the sun was dropping, the streets were busy with the dinner crowds and workers heading home. Anna led her down streets and laneways, across roads and under a bridge until they were on a busy street where they brushed against the arms of strangers. Anna stopped abruptly in the middle of the footpath, she was breathing deeply, focusing on the spot ten metres in front of her.

"Watch it!" Someone called behind them. 

Stella tugged on her arm. "An, come on, we're in the way."

Anna turned to her, tears in her eye. "This is where it happened," she whispered, "this is where Josh was stabbed."