I hate saying that to my clients, but it’s the truth. I don’t treat couples because it tends to be more of an individual issue. So I treat the individual. And I don’t treat married people because of my method of treatment. Sometimes I’m required to touch, feel, and participate in things with my clients that would be considered cheating if they were married. And there is nothing I hate more than cheating.” I hadn’t planned to say that last part, but it came out anyway.
“Do you ever plan to get married?”
“No,” I answered honestly.
“Because you love your job too much?”
I should have said yes. She had given me an easy answer and all I had to do was agree with her. That would have been the smart thing to do. But as I stared into her eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to do that. The trance between our eyes left me unable to lie. She was seeing me; it was as if Ivy was seeing my very soul. “No. It’s because I disagree in the idea of marriage. The whole thing is a sham. To think two people can stay together until the end of time is a ridiculous notion. Marriage makes taxes easier. It makes having a family easier. But it’s still asinine, nonetheless.” I usually kept my opinions regarding marriage to myself. People like Ivy that believed in marriage and wanted it didn’t need to be burdened by my cynical beliefs about it.
Her eyes widened on her face as she stared at me in disbelief.
“But… you just got done saying all of those things about marriage and why you do what you do.”
“Just because I don’t agree in marriage doesn’t mean others don’t. I respect their opinions on the union of two people until death do they part, but it isn’t something for me. I don’t push my beliefs on people; it’s simply what I, and I alone, believe. You’re more than welcome to believe differently. Most people do.”
“So you never want a family, either?” She seemed shocked by my confession.
I didn’t know how to answer her. The subject of a family was something I went back and forth on constantly. I answered her as truthfully as I could. “I don’t necessarily want a family. But if for some reason I wound up with a kid, I think I’d be okay with that. But I wouldn’t marry the mother simply because I knocked her up. I wouldn’t share a house with her, either. I would do my job as a father and take care of my kid. I have no issues with a family. Only with marriage.”
She looked back out at the pond and began to bite the inside of her cheek. Something was going on inside her head and I needed to know what it was. I was tired of answering her questions. She didn’t need to know anything else about me. I needed to know about her.
“Now, tell me, what happened that night?” My question surprised her.
She turned to look back at me and I watched as her eyes glazed over with fresh tears.
“What is it you think happened?” She turned my question back around on me.
“I have no idea. I want you to tell me that without any assumptions.”
She began to bite her cheek again. “No, I need to hear what you think happened.”
I shrugged my shoulders and gave it my best shot. “Well, you said it wasn’t an accident, so I can rule out a slip and fall on wet tile. You said you were in the bathtub, so I think it’s safe to say you were probably nude. With your fear of being looked at or touched in a sexual way, I would probably assume you weren’t alone. Maybe a family member was in there with you. Am I right so far?”
She nodded, not taking her eyes from my mouth as I spoke, never making eye contact.
“I would assume it was a male.”
She shook her head and the sensation of vomiting took a strong hold on my stomach.
“Who was it, Ivy?”
“My mom,” she whispered and her face looked pained.
I gasped and went to say something to her, but she cut me off before any words could have been uttered.
“It’s not what you think, though.” Her hands went back to twisting in her lap as
“Do you ever plan to get married?”
“No,” I answered honestly.
“Because you love your job too much?”
I should have said yes. She had given me an easy answer and all I had to do was agree with her. That would have been the smart thing to do. But as I stared into her eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to do that. The trance between our eyes left me unable to lie. She was seeing me; it was as if Ivy was seeing my very soul. “No. It’s because I disagree in the idea of marriage. The whole thing is a sham. To think two people can stay together until the end of time is a ridiculous notion. Marriage makes taxes easier. It makes having a family easier. But it’s still asinine, nonetheless.” I usually kept my opinions regarding marriage to myself. People like Ivy that believed in marriage and wanted it didn’t need to be burdened by my cynical beliefs about it.
Her eyes widened on her face as she stared at me in disbelief.
“But… you just got done saying all of those things about marriage and why you do what you do.”
“Just because I don’t agree in marriage doesn’t mean others don’t. I respect their opinions on the union of two people until death do they part, but it isn’t something for me. I don’t push my beliefs on people; it’s simply what I, and I alone, believe. You’re more than welcome to believe differently. Most people do.”
“So you never want a family, either?” She seemed shocked by my confession.
I didn’t know how to answer her. The subject of a family was something I went back and forth on constantly. I answered her as truthfully as I could. “I don’t necessarily want a family. But if for some reason I wound up with a kid, I think I’d be okay with that. But I wouldn’t marry the mother simply because I knocked her up. I wouldn’t share a house with her, either. I would do my job as a father and take care of my kid. I have no issues with a family. Only with marriage.”
She looked back out at the pond and began to bite the inside of her cheek. Something was going on inside her head and I needed to know what it was. I was tired of answering her questions. She didn’t need to know anything else about me. I needed to know about her.
“Now, tell me, what happened that night?” My question surprised her.
She turned to look back at me and I watched as her eyes glazed over with fresh tears.
“What is it you think happened?” She turned my question back around on me.
“I have no idea. I want you to tell me that without any assumptions.”
She began to bite her cheek again. “No, I need to hear what you think happened.”
I shrugged my shoulders and gave it my best shot. “Well, you said it wasn’t an accident, so I can rule out a slip and fall on wet tile. You said you were in the bathtub, so I think it’s safe to say you were probably nude. With your fear of being looked at or touched in a sexual way, I would probably assume you weren’t alone. Maybe a family member was in there with you. Am I right so far?”
She nodded, not taking her eyes from my mouth as I spoke, never making eye contact.
“I would assume it was a male.”
She shook her head and the sensation of vomiting took a strong hold on my stomach.
“Who was it, Ivy?”
“My mom,” she whispered and her face looked pained.
I gasped and went to say something to her, but she cut me off before any words could have been uttered.
“It’s not what you think, though.” Her hands went back to twisting in her lap as
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