"Wow Tomi. I don't know what to say. That was pretty intense"
"I know"
"Well at least you didn't kill him"Dr Angela was smiling. Tomike chuckled.
"I really thought after seeing him all of this would stop. But it's almost as if it became worse. My anxiety, my anger, my fears. They've all grown"
"Tomike I've come to realise something. This type of trauma takes time to heal. But it also requires something else which is just as important"
"And what is that?"
"Letting go"
Tomike sighed.
"You're still holding on Tomike, you're still holding on"
Tomike felt tears form in her eyes. Dr Angela was saying the truth.
"I've studied you, and you're the kind of person who enjoys self misery. You love throwing pity parties for yourself and that's sad. It's also holding you back. I'm not in anyway trying to down play what you went through, but Tomike, it's high time you got past it. Moving on is not something that automatically happens, it's a conscious decision. You have to decide to move on and let go.
"You might have seen him that day, your stepfather I mean, but he's still locked up in your heart. To move on Tomike, forgiveness is inevitable. Forgive him"
By now Tomike was sobbing, tears streaming down her cheek.
"I don't know if I can do it" her voice was already cracked and trembling.
"You can if you want to. You just have to decide you want to"
Tomike couldn't stop crying. Dr Angela handed her a tissue box.
"It's a process, and I'm here to walk you through it. I'm just glad you are finally opening up to me, and that we can now get down to buisness"
Tomike looked up after a while of her face buried in her hands. A warm smile was placed on Dr Angela's face. Surely this woman was made for this job. Everthing about her was calming, even the baby pink shirt she beautifully paired with a gray trouser.
"Thank you"