Chapter 13

Emily seeks counseling and tells what happened at the competition.

Emily sat in her therapist’s office, staring blankly at the fish tank. The brightly colored fish swam lazily, seemingly oblivious to the turmoil within Emily. She’d come here because she needed to talk about what happened at the competition. The memory was still fresh, still raw. It felt like it had happened yesterday, instead of a week ago.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing thoughts. Her therapist, Dr. Jones, gave her a knowing smile and gestured for her to continue. Emily hesitated for a moment, unsure how to begin. She had never been good at talking about her feelings, especially with someone she didn’t know. But she forced the words out, telling Dr. Jones about the day of the competition.

She described the hours of practice and the nerves that had been churning in her stomach. She told her about the other competitors, how they had all seemed so confident and poised. And then she told her about the moment it all went wrong. The moment she lost control of her body and her mind. The moment her world had come crashing down around her.

As she spoke, Emily felt a lump forming in her throat. Tears began to well up in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She couldn’t believe she was crying now, after all this time. But it felt good, somehow. Cathartic.

Like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. And as she finished her story, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. She had finally told someone what had happened, and it didn’t seem as bad anymore.

Dr. Jones nodded understandingly and reached across the desk to hand her a box of tissues. Emily took one and wiped her eyes, feeling embarrassed. But Dr. Jones didn’t make her feel embarrassed or ashamed. Instead, she encouraged her to talk more about how she was feeling now.

Emily shrugged. “I don’t know. I feel like I’m supposed to be over it by now. Like I should have moved on.” She sniffled. “But it’s still there, you know? It’s always there, in the back of my mind. I can’t forget what happened.”

Dr. Jones nodded again. “It’s perfectly normal to feel this way, Emily. These things take time to heal. You need to give yourself permission to feel what you feel and to process it at your own pace. You’ve taken the first step by coming here today.”

The fish in the tank continued to swim, seemingly oblivious to the emotions swirling around the room. Emily found herself watching them, fascinated by their grace and resilience. Maybe, she thought, if she could learn to be more like them, she could eventually find some peace.