Chapter 46: Therapy session
Chapter 46
The office smelled the same—lavender scent as usual—as Katherine stood in front of the door longer than necessary, staring at the brass handle, wondering if it would be easier to turn around and go back. But she couldn’t. She needed to be here and sort her head, emotions. It had been a jumbled mess. Her fingers curled slowly around the handle, pushing the door open.
When she entered the room, everything was as she remembered. The dark blue couch near the window, the grandfather ticking clock above the bookshelf filled with worn psychology books, the same indoor plant standing tall in the corner like it hadn’t aged a day.
And Dr. Royhan was already seated in her usual chair, her notepad in hand, dressed in a soft pinkish blouse. Her face wore the usual calm, unreadable expression, yet her eyes crinkled at the corners with warmth and welcoming.
Katherine strode to the couch and collapsed in it without saying anything. Her legs folded underneath her and her arms crossed protectively over her chest like a shield. She leaned into her hands and let out a long breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.
"It’s been a while," Dr. Royhan said softly, her tone gentle as she rummaged through a stack of books on her desk, then brought a folder out.
Katherine let out a humourless chuckle. "Yeah, it has been months if not years," she muttered.
Dr. Royhan nodded slowly, not finding annoyance in her sarcastic response. "What brings you back today?"
Katherine stared at the floor, her jaw tightening as her fingers gripped the fabric of her sleeves. She could practically hear her own heartbeat in her ears.
"Aaron’s back," she blurted abruptly, eyes still fixed on a random scratch in the wooden floorboard.
There was no change in Dr. Royhan’s expression, only a subtle shift in posture as she leaned slightly forward, scribbling once in the folder.