Read Therapeutic Relations for Free Online Page B

whimper with want.
    Yes, she’d seen Tak today, and it for that very reason she had to get the hell out of the office now.
    She nearly made it rear exit and down the back stairwell when Anne appeared at the end of the hallway, touting a huge bouquet of flowers, balloons, and a gigantic card.
    “Uh, Dr. Morris? Are you leaving?” Anne asked, spying around the huge spectacle. “I mean, now?”
    Tanya sighed.

    “What do you need, Anne?” Tanya asked instead of answering. Obviously, she was leaving.
    Whose birthday, wedding, or baby shower did I forget? This one must’ve slipped by me.

    “Dr. Morris, ma’am, these are for you.” Anne hoisted them forward as if about to pitch the entire assortment to her.
    Tanya frowned at them. It wasn’t her birthday either.

    The puzzle fell into place the moment she walked closer and noticed they were Japanese cherry blossoms. Hard to get, expensive to fit in a contraption like this, and to Tanya’s surprise all the items had been separate. Anne had simply been carrying them as one, but the balloons had Japanese ideograms Tanya knew as meaning love, hope, life, and unity.
    Tak.

    Tanya opened her door and waited while Anne placed the gifts on her round bistro-styled meeting table.
    “Whew! Someone sure likes you, Dr. Morris,” Anne said with a wipe of her damp forehead. “You’re finally moving on past Dave. I’m glad, uh, even if that is a bit too personal.”
    Tanya blinked at Anne, finally hearing the words. So focused on the cherry blossoms she’d hardly heard Anne’s little spill. When she realized the other woman remained, watching her, Tanya said, “Oh, yes. Lovely. Thoughtful. Thank you.”
    Anne left, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

    Tanya reached for the card with her hands slick with anxiousness. Butterflies flapped about her belly and she tried to get a handle on the emotions. Tak had sent her stuff before, birthday, happy divorce, and graduations to name a few. But this, this went beyond friendly bonds.
    And she knew why.

    A solitary line in perfect placed script read…

    Follow your heart and speak true. As mine has done.

    Speak true.

    It had been in their freshman year of college when they’d been the subject of a group of skinhead teasing and taunting. Well, it wasn’t just Tak and her. There had been a group of about twenty of her friends, and about twenty of the skinheads. Tak had stood up to the bullies and received a pretty good bruising for his efforts. But not before he’d sent a few to the emergency room. Charges pressed and dropped, Tak ended up having to pay the hospital bills which came out of his own pocket. His parents refused to pay. There went his money for Europe that summer.
    Later she had asked him why he hadn’t lied to the police about beating the skinheads.

    Any number of students could’ve done the damage. No cameras, everyone pointing the finger at someone else.
    Tak’s dark raven eyes had met hers and as he brushed his then-long strands of bangs from his face, he said, “To betray oneself is the gravest of all human sin. It begins by lying to others. Follow your heart and speak true.”
    Which is how she knew he never lied to her. Ever. Tak always spoke true. Tanya dapped at the burning sting of unshed tears in her eyes. I’m a fool.
    Leaving the items on the meeting table, Tanya’s throat closed over the lump of emotions and feelings. She snatched up her belongings once more and fled.
    What’s done is done. My mind is made up. I’m not good for him. Not enough for what he must give up in return.
    These hot words buzzed around her mind as she slipped out of her office once more and out of the rear exit. Her heels made a horrible clatter as she scurried to her Lexus, but she didn’t care. Tanya couldn’t hear anything but the coursing of her blood in her ears and the galloping whine in her heart.
    *****

    Dr. Nakamura watched with mild fascination as his woman, yes his woman, nearly broke her heels