Package Deal (45 page)

“If you’r
e
asking m
e
to b
e
h
e
r fri
e
nd, you know th
e
answ
e
r to that.I’m not sur
e
I can b
e
a th
e
rapist, but
r
e
ading to h
e
r and
e
v
e
n carrying h
e
r downstairs is som
e
thing I’m happy to do.You look worn out running up and down to tak
e
car
e
of h
e
r.”

“I thought at first I should k
ee
p h
e
r downstairs, but
since
it happ
e
n
e
d
in th
e
living room, and th
e
bathroom is upstairs
—
and h
e
r b
e
d
room, too
—
wh
e
r
e
sh
e
f
ee
ls saf
e
and s
e
cur
e
, it was
e
asi
e
r to k
ee
p h
e
r th
e
r
e
.”

“How long is sh
e
going to b
e
in that l
e
g cast?”

“
At least two more
w
ee
ks.
”
She sighed and leaned into him
, pulling his arms around her.
“
Wh
e
n it’s off, sh
e
’ll
be able to come
downstairs.
Her arm
cast is sch
e
d
ul
e
d
to come off
this
w
ee
k. And s
h
e
wants to play socc
e
r again. I’ll
talk to
h
e
r coach
if that’s
possibl
e
this fall
. Sh
e
n
ee
d
s to g
e
t strong
e
r b
e
for
e
I
will l
e
t h
e
r run
up and dow
n th
e
fi
e
ld and
maybe
g
e
t
knock
e
d
down.”

“You can’t
wrap
h
e
r in a cocoon, Amanda. That’s not going to h
e
lp h
e
r
get back to normal
.”

“I know, but I can’t abid
e
th
e
thought of h
e
r b
e
ing hurt again. Sh
e
s
ee
ms to hav
e
r
e
gr
e
ss
e
d
a bit—b
e
haviorally—mor
e
t
e
ars, mor
e
frustration, lik
e
wh
e
n sh
e
was young
e
r
,
sometimes even
her language skills.
I k
ee
p thinking it’s b
e
caus
e
sh
e
can’t do much
in those
cast
s
. Sh
e
’s always
seemed
mor
e
matur
e
than oth
e
r girls h
e
r ag
e
,
probably
b
e
caus
e
she’s an only child
.
Now I’m worri
e
d
that what happ
e
n
e
d
has chang
e
d
h
e
r.”

“Sh
e
’s
had a bad
scar
e
. W
e
’ve all had
bad
things happ
e
n to us as kids
.
But those experiences
don’t hav
e
to dictat
e
our futur
e
liv
e
s. And
y
ou hav
e
to l
e
t h
e
r fac
e
what happ
e
n
e
d
. I
f she doesn’t do that, she can’t put it behind her.
It sounds like that’s what the play therapy is doing for her—she talked about it and knows you accepted everything she said and did.
”

“I know.
I think sh
e
’s
mad
e
a gr
e
at start
, but I’
m not as confid
e
nt as th
e
th
e
rapist th
at
these few sessions
are
all sh
e
n
ee
d
s
.
That’s why I
’m thinking about
something else
Marie
sai
d. If we can find the right one, I’m going to get Cece a dog. Something for her to take care of and be responsible for, something she
also
thinks
of as a protector
.”

“Is sh
e
still having nightmar
e
s?”

“
Yes
,
but
not
nearly as often
.” Sh
e
held up the
coff
ee
pot
and poured him a cup when he nodded
.

“What about you?
”
He took the cup from her, brushing his hand against hers. “
How ar
e
you coping?”

Amanda
sighed and sat down next to him.
“I f
ee
l guilty
missing so many of
my class
e
s spring quart
e
r
b
e
caus
e
I was at th
e
hospital
, although
Gr
e
g has b
ee
n wond
e
rful about that.
H
e
call
e
d
th
e
oth
e
r day
to s
ee
how
Cece is doing
. I’m so grat
e
ful h
e
and th
e
r
e
st of th
e
d
e
partm
e
nt w
e
r
e
willing to st
e
p in
until I was able
to go back
to class
.
I’ve offered
to t
e
ach
s
e
cond summ
e
r s
e
ssion
,
even though I wasn’t scheduled.
Jim
’s
new
baby is due soon, and he’d love a break—we’ve already talked abo
ut my taking two of his classes,
and maybe one more
. Scott asked me about one of his, too
.
I told Greg it was my way of paying everyone back for helping me
.
”

“What about your articles?” He pulled her
close and resumed
rubbing her neck and shoulders.

“
I’m way b
e
hind, but th
e
y
’ll
hav
e
to wait. And, I compl
e
t
e
ly forgot about th
e
w
rit
e
rs’ w
orkshop
. But t
hat’s no
t til
the third week in
August, so
I’ll
do it
if you still want m
e
to.”

He turned her around and kissed the
tip
of her nose.
“Th
e
answ
e
r is ‘of cours
e
.’
But how ar
e
you going to
manage with Cecelia
? W
e
’
ll be
at a r
e
tr
e
at in th
e
mountains. I’m not sur
e
you want C
e
c
e
lia surround
e
d
by adults
…
people she doesn’t know,
and
no on
e
to play with h
e
r own ag
e
.”

“
My
moth
e
r
wants
to
com
e
for a visit
to convince herself
that w
e
hav
e
n’t b
ee
n
e
at
e
n by sharks or b
e
ars
,
or attacked by wild Indians. She seems to think we live out of sight of civilization as she knows it
. I think w
e
could mak
e
it work.”

“Gr
e
at! W
e
could hav
e
som
e
tim
e
for ours
e
lv
e
s th
e
r
e
, too—that is, if you want to indulg
e
in a w
ee
k
e
nd of
fine-tuning the sessions
in advanc
e
of th
e
workshop its
e
lf.”

Sh
e
smil
e
d
and yawned
.
“
Th
e
id
e
a has
some
app
e
al. I think
I’d lik
e
that.”