Cassie wished she could have had a virtual therapy session with Dr. Rich the day after the Halloween party. But she had to wait until now— about a week after the fact— to do so due to Dr. Rich having been on vacation. Since the party happened, she had had to deal with unpleasant thoughts that had darkened her mood. Medication could only do so much to alleviate it; it wasn't able to fix all her problems, and she knew that. Needless to say, she had been looking forward to chatting with her therapist again once she got home from class that afternoon.
"How have you been?" Dr. Rich asked once both women got the small talk out of the way.
"Uh...not good," Cassie admitted reluctantly.
"Is something the matter?" Dr. Rich inquired. "We can reschedule if you like."
"No, I need to talk to you," Cassie said in a rush. "Er...sorry. I've been dealing with a lot."
"It's okay," Dr. Rich replied. "What's going on?"
"I, uh...I don't know where to begin," Cassie remarked with a laugh. She then groaned. "God, I'm a mess."
"Don't apologize. Start wherever you'd like."
"There was one good thing that happened since we last spoke. I apologized to Isaac."
"And how did that go?"
"It went better than I expected. I explained everything to him thoroughly and didn't get upset at all. Well...I got emotional; but not upset, if that makes sense. He was shocked by my apology, which I figured would happen. I haven't spoken to him since then 'cause I wanna give him as much space as he needs."
Dr. Rich's smile was warm. "That sounds good! But you don't look happy about it."
"I am, I promise," Cassie said in a weary voice. "It's just that...I tried to talk to Lexi this past weekend, and...it went badly."
"Oh? How so?" Dr. Rich questioned.
"I was never able to apologize to her, first of all. She didn't want to hear anything I had to say. I don't know if it was me approaching her that caused it, but...Lexi just lost it on me. She brought up so many things that I'd done to her in the past and kept telling me how much I had hurt her. She called me a bitch and made it clear that she never wants to talk to me ever again. It was...sobering, to say the least. Oh, and speaking of; Yes, I was sober when I tried talking to her."
"Wow, that must've been a lot for you to take in."
Cassie shrugged. "Deep down, I know I deserved that rant. Lexi had every right to go off on me."
"It definitely sounds like Lexi's not interested in talking to you right now," Dr. Rich pointed out.
No kidding, Cassie thought. "Yeah, for sure."
"Just continue to give her space for now," Dr. Rich continued. "It sounds to me that she's not ready to take that step in talking with you, and that's okay. Respecting that boundary should help show her that you care about making things right."
"That was my plan," Cassie admitted.
The rest of the therapy session went by uneventfully. Once it was over, Cassie sighed and closed her laptop. She needed to destress after all the drama that had taken place. That plus the added stress of school and her recent therapy session had taken a toll on her mental health.
With Mariana not home at the moment, Cassie decided to take a long soak in the bathtub. She was waiting for water to finish filling the tub when she noticed that she had received a text during her therapy session.
Johnathan: Hey, what's up?
She briefly entertained the idea of replying but decided against it. She didn't have any issues with Johnathan, but she didn't want to talk to him— or anyone else, for that matter. All she wanted was some alone time away from people. Clearing her head was what she needed most.
I'll get back to him once I'm done, she thought as she sat in the now bubbly bathwater. I need to put myself first.
***
The vast majority of November went by uneventfully— a welcome change for many. With both Reading Week and Halloween things of the past, students at New York University focused primarily on their studies. But outside of class, students focused on friends, relationships, or work obligations.
Autumn had been in full swing by now, leaving the streets littered with colourful fallen leaves. The weather also became cooler and cooler with each passing day. Fewer people stayed outside longer than necessary to avoid getting too cold. It hadn't snowed yet, but everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before the first snowfall of the school year would happen.
Despite the cold weather outside, Isaac had invited Lexi out for lunch on Wednesday afternoon at The Bean's Knees. They had already gotten their orders and were seated at a table in the middle of the café. The place was packed due to the lunch hour rush, with many students grabbing what they wanted to eat either inside or to go. Nearly every table inside was occupied with people eating. Some worked on their laptops or socialized with others while they ate. Some even did both as they tried to get homework done with their friends.
"I can't believe we managed to get a table," Isaac remarked before taking the first bite out of his BLT sandwich.
"Yeah, we definitely got lucky," Lexi said as she began to dig into her chicken Caesar salad. "This place is always crazy busy at this time of day."
Isaac nodded with a small grin on his face. "Thanks again for joining me, by the way."
"Of course, babe," Lexi replied. "Thank you for the invite."
For a few minutes, the couple ate in content silence. Neither paid any mind to anyone else milling about inside The Bean's Knees. The sound of people chatting and employees making coffee and food filled the air. Pop music could be heard faintly despite all the noise.
"So," Isaac said, "what are your plans for Thanksgiving this year?"
"I'll just be chilling at my apartment in NYC," Lexi replied matter-of-factly.
Isaac frowned. "Wait, really? You're not going home this year?"
"I wish, but no," Lexi said, a small frown crossing her face. "My mom is still in the middle of arguing a high-profile case, and my dad is super busy with work too. They aren't even celebrating Thanksgiving this year 'cause they're both so damn busy right now."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I understand why they work so much and so hard. It doesn't bother me anymore."
Isaac frowned despite Lexi's assuring words. She seemed to have accepted the reality of her situation, but that still bothered him. He hated the fact that Lexi wouldn't be celebrating Thanksgiving this year, let alone going home to visit her family for the aforementioned holiday.
"I'm probably just gonna chill in my apartment and do fuck all," Lexi added with a carefree smile. "I don't mind that."
"Well...I have an idea actually," Isaac said apprehensively. "I just thought of it now, but maybe you'd be interested?"
Lexi raised her eyebrows with piqued curiosity. "I'm listening."
"Would you like to come visit my family for Thanksgiving? It'll be me, my parents, Laura, and her fiancé, Jacob. We aren't doing anything with extended family this year 'cause everyone else has plans. I'd have to ask my parents if they'd be okay with you coming. But if they are, would you be interested?"
"You'd like me to visit your family for Thanksgiving?"
Isaac nodded despite his now frazzled nerves. He knew that the relationship between Lexi and his parents wasn't amazing, but it seemed to have improved since she had helped him move out of his apartment last year. They didn't ask about Lexi much, but they seemed to think well of her whenever her name came up. Laura had also taken a great liking to Lexi, so there was no worry of them not getting along. The opportunity to have his girlfriend come over seemed like an excellent idea to have his family get closer to her.
"You can say no if you want," Isaac blurted out. He didn't want her to think that she had to say yes. He never wanted to force his girlfriend into an uncomfortable situation.
"I really love that idea," Lexi said, her smile wide. "But if they're not okay with it, that's fine too.."
Isaac exhaled, trying hard to come off as calm and collected. "I know, and I appreciate it, babe. I'll ask my mother later today. I was planning on calling her tonight anyway. Once I have an answer, I'll text you to let you know what's going on."
"That works," Lexi remarked. "Thank you again for inviting me to your home for Thanksgiving."
"You're welcome! I hope it works out."
The couple exchanged smiles, having finished their lunches not long ago.
"Thank you for being so sweet too," Lexi added in a soft voice. "It really means a lot to me."
Isaac nodded as he took a shaky sip from his water bottle. "Of course, babe."
The couple shared a brief kiss before carrying on with lunch for a little while longer. Eventually, they left The Bean's Knees together to walk off to their respective classes.
"I'll text you later," Isaac said.
"Perfect!" Lexi replied in a joyful voice. "I love you, babe."
"I love you too."
They shared another kiss before they walked off in different directions. Isaac couldn't stop grinning like an idiot.
God, I love that woman so much, he thought. I'm a lucky man.
***
Isaac made good on his promise to call his mother that evening after dinner. They caught up about his schooling and how things were going back at home. Isaac smiled throughout the entire conversation. He hadn't spoken to his mother since last month, a few days after he had returned to New York City from being at home during Reading Week. It was nice to hear her voice again after not talking to her for so long.
"I'm sorry I didn't call sooner," Isaac said once they finished catching up. "School has been busier than I expected."
"Honey, it's okay," his mother replied. "I'm not upset, I promise."
Isaac tried to keep his voice happy. "I know, Mom, but still..." He trailed off, unsure if he should apologize again or not.
"Don't worry about it, okay? I understand that school is busy and that you have a life outside of that," his mother said earnestly.
"Well...okay. Hey, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."
"Sure, what is it?"
"So, Lexi isn't going home for Thanksgiving this year 'cause her parents are busy working. She was going to spend the holiday alone in her apartment. I had offered for her to join us for Thanksgiving, but only if you and Dad are okay with it. What do you think?"
"You said she could come?"
"No, I invited her to come on the condition that you and Dad are fine with it. If you two aren't fine with it, then Lexi won't come. She already knows this and is understanding. I know Thanksgiving is next week. If you and Dad aren't okay with Lexi coming, I won't be upset, and neither will Lexi."
Isaac's breath hitched as his mother excused herself to talk to his father. The idea had seemed like a good one when he had asked Lexi during lunch earlier that day. But now he began to wonder if they didn't want her to come.
I thought they liked Lexi? Then again, maybe they don't want to deal with another guest on top of James. Ugh, did I make a mistake?
"Are you still there, dear?"
Isaac cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm still here."
"Your dad and I are good with Lexi coming too," his mother said.
"Are you sure? If it's going to be a bother..."
"Oh, no, it's fine! It'll be nice to have Lexi over. Besides, Laura has been asking to chat with her again."
Isaac grinned. "That's great to hear, Mom! Thank you so much. And please tell Dad that I thanked him too."
"Why don't you tell him yourself?"
The phone call carried on for another hour or so, with Isaac chatting with his dad about school and other various topics. Isaac smiled throughout the entire conversation; hearing his father's voice after not chatting with him since Reading Week was just as welcoming as hearing from his mother.
"I'm excited for Lexi to come over," his father admitted in a cheerful tone. "It'll be nice to have her over."
"I think so too," Isaac said in the same manner.
Once he eventually said goodbye to his parents and ended the call, Isaac shot a quick text to his girlfriend.
Isaac: Hey, Thanksgiving dinner with you is a go. We'll be leaving from my place next Wednesday at 3 PM. Does that interfere with your classes?
Lexi: Nope, that works for me. Thank you, babe!
Isaac: You're welcome. Talk later!
Isaac smiled as he got his things ready to do some homework. Thanksgiving couldn't come soon enough.