How's..things? Caleb's standing in the patio door frame, looking surprised that I'm around at all. I don't think he expected to find me bringing in the bin from sorting the recycling, something we do at least twice a day anyway. I'm not sure if I'm above that or if he thought I would be somewhere chewing off pieces of my own face right now. Maybe we should both be more grateful and less surprised.
What, no hug? I drop the bin and hold my arms out. I don't have to ask him twice. He folds me in against his chest, pressing his lips against the top of my skull.
I was worried. I asked that they give you to me, that they not medicate you.
Clean. I hold my hands up in surrender. Since when are you an advocate for pushing through that kind of event? This is the man who gave me drugs right through my twenties to keep me from remembering that he abused me and also lays claim to all the fun we had.
Or something.
Since I realized it's just an endless circle if it goes that way. Ahh. I was so worried. You don't know how relieved I am to see you today.
You can come see me whenever.
Lochlan asked me not to. A power move after I asked him to not pull out the drugs as a solution.
What will he say if I ask him what happened?
He'll say that I asked for you. To look after you and he declined because he needs to man up.
So how does that spin into a power move?
I know him better than you do. I dearly wanted to be the one to hold you through this.
You weren't around.
I'm sorry, Bridget. He looks completely destroyed. I don't think he's slept. I'm doing so good as long as you don't mention names or ghosts or anything. It's either the calm before the storm or it really wasn't bad enough to invoke Joel chasing me down the hall with a needleful of forgetfulness.
It's fine. It seems like the worst has passed.
I'm so glad.
Thanks for the offer to take over.
I'd do anything for you.
Then I appreciate you letting Lochlan deal with it. He needs to learn-
I know, Neamhchiontach. He didn't run away. It's a first.
What, no hug? I drop the bin and hold my arms out. I don't have to ask him twice. He folds me in against his chest, pressing his lips against the top of my skull.
I was worried. I asked that they give you to me, that they not medicate you.
Clean. I hold my hands up in surrender. Since when are you an advocate for pushing through that kind of event? This is the man who gave me drugs right through my twenties to keep me from remembering that he abused me and also lays claim to all the fun we had.
Or something.
Since I realized it's just an endless circle if it goes that way. Ahh. I was so worried. You don't know how relieved I am to see you today.
You can come see me whenever.
Lochlan asked me not to. A power move after I asked him to not pull out the drugs as a solution.
What will he say if I ask him what happened?
He'll say that I asked for you. To look after you and he declined because he needs to man up.
So how does that spin into a power move?
I know him better than you do. I dearly wanted to be the one to hold you through this.
You weren't around.
I'm sorry, Bridget. He looks completely destroyed. I don't think he's slept. I'm doing so good as long as you don't mention names or ghosts or anything. It's either the calm before the storm or it really wasn't bad enough to invoke Joel chasing me down the hall with a needleful of forgetfulness.
It's fine. It seems like the worst has passed.
I'm so glad.
Thanks for the offer to take over.
I'd do anything for you.
Then I appreciate you letting Lochlan deal with it. He needs to learn-
I know, Neamhchiontach. He didn't run away. It's a first.