Eva finished listening to Marek tell her about his session with Annie. "I knew it!" Eva proclaimed proudly. "There is a connection."
"I'm not ready to say you're right and that their issues are connected however I must admit that it's possible," replied Marek.
"That must have been very difficult for you to say."
"More than you can imagine. Forty years of psychiatry tells me that this isn't possible, yet it's happening....This your domain Eva. What's going on?"
Eva paused. She didn't expect that she'd need have an answer on the spot. This might be her domain but it was something that no one could possibly be an expert in. "It seems that these two have lived many lives together. If I were to guess, and that's all this would be, their troubles are from being so far apart from each other for so long. Souls come back in groups. They need to be together otherwise it's as if part of themselves are missing."
"I suppose that's as good an answer as any. So what you're saying is that you and I aren't meant to be together because neither of us are depressed to the point of wanting to end our lives?"
"Marek, I'd have already met our maker if we were still together. God would have wondered how I survived with you for so long. Coming to think of it I believe God owes me an apology." Eva knew that wasn't true. She badly wanted to be with Marek but he just kept choosing money and career over her. She was convinced that Marek was her prava-ljubov, which means true love in her native country of Serbia.
"I must have done something horrible to you in a past life to constantly be the victim of that sharp tongue of yours," Marek replied in an angry tone.
"I'd take that bet." Eva replied.
"Okay, okay enough about us..." Marek knew he couldn't beat her at the insult game. That was a women's domain. "Back to the unhappy couple. What's the next point of attack?"
"Let's start by showing your clients picture to Jason," Eva said confidently. "Is it okay I tell him her first name?"
"I suppose. Her name is Annie."
* * * * *
"My friend in Denver got permission from his client to show you her photo. Like I said last session, this is a shot in the dark."
Eva handed Jason an old picture of Annie from when she was in college. She standing in front of a statue wearing a jean jacket.
"Oh my God, that's her!" Jason said. "I don't believe it. That's Annie St. Pierre."
"You know her?" Eva asked, already aware of the answer.
"I saw her at a party when I was in high-school. I couldn't stop staring at her. I'd never been so nervous in all my life. I thought about her afterwards for years."
"Where did you go to highschool?"
"Needham High."
"And Annie went there?" Eva asked.
"No. She went to the other school, St. Matthew's."
"Oh.." Eva seemed a little disappointed.
"Did I answer wrongly?" Jason asked.
"Not at all. The truth is the truth."
"Of all the damn girls I ever met, you had to show me a picture of Annie St. Pierre. After I left Boston for Chicago I was sure I'd never hear that name again."
Eva's heart started pounding quickly as Jason said Boston. There was a connection! "Boston? But I thought you said Needham. I've never heard of that town."
"No one has outside of Boston. It's one of those suburbs that's so far away it might as well be in Vermont." Eva's face couldn't contain her excitement.
"Did you ask her out?" she asked, desperate to hear more details.
"I tried. She gave me her number but it was obviously a pity thing. She wasn't interested in me at all." Jason stopped talking for a moment to look at her picture again. "I almost called her once, but my buddy told me she'd already found a boyfriend, some jock named Thomas." Jason sighed. "A guy like that made way more sense. I was a complete nobody in high school. I was the invisible kid. I bet she didn't even give me her real number."
"So why did you keep thinking about her?"
"Because she was the one. I know it's strange because we barely spoke but I knew it. I dreamt about her for weeks afterwards. Everywhere I went I was expecting to see her appear around a corner. If only I had an ounce of courage back then. Then again, maybe it's better that I didn't. She would have hated me."
"It's horrible that you felt that way," Eva said empathetically. "Nobody should ever think that little of themselves."
Jason couldn't stop staring at the picture. "How could I have missed it?"
"Missed what?" Eva asked.
"That's her. I've seen her so many times."
"Who was she?"
"All I know is that I've seen her in nearly every session we've had." Jason's face brightened. He looked happy. "I feel like I need to find her but I'm not sure why." As he said those last few words the brightness in his face darkened. Fear set in but he refused to mention that to Eva.
"Incredible," Eva was at a loss for words. This is what she had hoped for but could never admit to herself. "Who was she?"
Jason focused on his fear for a moment. Something about Annie St.Pierre terrified him. He clenched his hands tightly.
"What's happening Jason?"
Every breath Jason took seemed to get more difficult. His shoulders stiffened. Pain began to radiate down his spine. Jason quickly stood up.
"Jason, what's happening to you?"
All of a sudden Jason began to feel a nervousness that hadn't been this intense since he was a young boy. He recalled all of the times he tried to speak with a girl but couldn't. His mind always wanting to but no words could ever leave his mouth. Jason's lower lips and jaw started to shake. His teeth began to tremble like they would before he'd cry. These emotions were tearing him apart. He was not going to break down here, absolutely not. Jason tried to leave the room but his legs wouldn't let him, then without warning he collapsed on the floor.
"Jason!" Eva yelled as he lay on the carpet passed out cold, his eyes completely shut. She grabbed a tissue and wiped his forehead of sweat then she gently began to shake his head. "Please Jason, just focus on my voice. You're safe with me. Jason, please wake up." Eva left him briefly to grab a glass of cold water. She dumped it over his face. Nothing.
Eva picked up her cellphone to dial 911.
"Eva?" Jason called out to her in a quiet rasp. "What happened. Why am I on the ground....completely soaked?"
She hung up the phone. "Oh dear, thank God your okay."
"What's going on? What happened to me?"
"What do you remember?...Wait, before you say anything take this sweater and dry yourself off." She handed Jason a wool sweater that she kept for when her office got too cold, which was too often during the Chicago winter. "Let me help you up."
Jason took her hand and stood up. He started to lose his balance but Eva kept him upright. She guided him back to the leather chair. "Okay Jason, now tell me what you remember."
Jason took a few deep breaths. "I showed up for our session, sat in the chair and woke up on the floor, soaked."
Eva shook her head in disbelief. What the hell just happened? Jason appeared to remember absolutely nothing. Do you remember me telling you about Marek?
"You've mentioned him before. He's your old friend, right?"
"Yes." Eva paused. She wanted to chose her next words carefully. Something about Annie set him off. Even so she decided to take a chance hoping that Jason might gently recall what had happened."
"We were talking about Annie," she said nervously.
"Who?"
Eva wasn't going to remind Jason of anything else, not today. "My niece," she replied. "You know, from back in Serbia."
"Sorry Eva. I don't believe you ever mentioned her before."
"Oh, I was sure I had."
"So what happened to me after that?"
"Nothing serious, it appears. You started to sweat, you stood up and then passed out. I threw some water on you and now we're here. Maybe you're coming down with a virus. I'm no doctor but I don't think it's anything worth worrying about....Has this ever happened to you before?"
"Never. All the weird stuff only seems to happen around you."
Eva realized that he was right but it was all towards an end, she justified. "Jason, if it's okay with you we're going to skip the rest of todays session. You should go home and get some rest. I don't need you suing me or anything."
Jason quietly laughed. "I'd never do that. And besides, do you even have liability insurance?"
"Of course I do. I am a professional, you know?"
"Professional? This whole time I thought you were an unlicensed medium," he replied, seriously.
Eva appeared to be slightly insulted. Usually she began her first session telling her client about her credentials but with Jason she just jumped right in. He was so sad the first time they met. "You mean you haven't been claiming these sessions with your insurance?"
"I can?" Jason asked surprised.
"I do have diplomas you know. I am a registered social worker, not just a crazy gypsy hypnotist. I can't believe you've been seeing me all this time and not getting reimbursed. I don't think anyone has ever done that before. I mean, I'm not that good."
"I didn't really care about the money. I want to get better. I'll spend every dollar I have if it will help. It's not just about me, but it's also about Julia and my daughter. This has to stop. I need to stop hurting my family like this, and I realize that suicide isn't the answer."
* * * * *
"Excuse my French but this is some fucking weird shit," Marek told Eva.
"It's strange hearing you swear," replied Eva. "It sounds both natural and wrong all at the same time."
"Maybe if I did it more often you wouldn't have such a strange reaction. You know, de-sensitivity training is a proven technique. Coming to think of it, we should try that with Jason. Obviously he's having a powerful reaction deep in his subconscious. This is something we need to explore. We should start by re-introducing him to Annie, but this time we'll do it subtly. I'd like to do it in a way where he can't see her. Perhaps I can trick them into speaking with each other on the phone."
"And how do intend to do that?" Eva asked.
"I'll figure something out."