Chapter 10

After being given an anti-anxiety drug, Theresa seemed to recover the next day. Julia kept her in the hospital for one more night, and scheduled a session with her for the following day.

As they sat down together in Julia's office, Theresa took the initiative and said "I don't know what happened to me. I'm sorry to be such a problem."

"Theresa, what happened to you the other night is just one symptom of a very serious problem. The situation between you and Terry is dangerous to your health."

"The problem is, there is nothing between me and Terry," Theresa answered, eyes already moist. "Did you talk to him?"

"Yes, I did. I have his permission to tell you that, and to tell you what we talked about."

"All I want to know is will he see me again?" Theresa blurted out.

"As things stand right now, I'm afraid not," Julia said as gently as she could. When Theresa started to cry, Julia went on, "Let's put that question off for a while. Tell me what you remember about the other night. Start with why you went there, and why you stripped. Tell me what you were thinking."

Theresa got herself together enough to give her account, with Julia asking many questions. Julia's main focus was determining whether Theresa was safe to be released. She did not like to think about committing her, but the breakdown the other evening was a very serious signal.

When they finished the account of the breakdown, Julia probed hard on Theresa's feelings about Terry. She was trying to gauge the importance of the relationship to the mother. She needed to know if Theresa would be destroyed if no long-term contact developed. The answer was frighteningly clear. Without certain contact with both of her children, Theresa would probably end up non-functional. The fact that any possible relationship would never be warm and loving seemed to have sunk in. It distressed her, but she understood why and could live with it. Total lack of contact with either of them would destroy her.

Julia was also probing for indications of whether Theresa should be committed. Her exhibitionism and the accompanying breakdown weighed heavily in that direction. On the other hand, building some kind of a relationship with Terry was at least a focal point, something her patient badly needed. With the exception of her one fixation, Theresa seemed rational and functional enough.

After all of her years in her practice, Julia thought that she had run into every possible psychological situation, often many times. She was intelligent enough to realize that it was good to have that complacency punctured by a case like Theresa's.

There had honestly never been another patient with such a dramatic personality shift. From total self-assurance and self-absorption to pathetic dependency in a matter of weeks was one for the journals. As a rule, that kind of metamorphosis would not be considered positive. The redeeming factor with Theresa was her honest concern for the success and the well-being of her children.

Of course, Theresa had always been concerned about those things, but for the wrong reasons. Before, they were important because they were what she and Vince had planned for the children. As long as they fit within the plans, they were good children, and she and Vince were successful as parents. Julie's and Terry's personal feelings and desires were hardly factored in.

Theresa would be horrified at the suggestion that she had not loved her children before. Julia had seen love in many permutations and distortions. That Theresa's concept of love had evolved so rapidly was what made her case so unusual.

It was not quite the end of the hour when Theresa had to ask again "Didn't he tell you anything I could do to get him to see me?" Julia could not help thinking of Terry's cynical, intentionally ridiculous comment, and it must have shown on her face. "He did, didn't he?" Theresa actually jumped up out of her chair. "You've got to tell me! He told you you could! Please!"

"Theresa, it was something nasty, and he meant it as a joke."

"I don't care! Even if it's nasty, I'll do it! I've got to see him! Don't you understand?"

"Yes, Theresa, I understand that you have to see him. But he didn't mean he would actually talk to you if you did this. He just said something ridiculous to get me to stop asking him. He made up something that would humiliate you terribly."

"Julia, humiliation doesn't mean anything to me any more. I think I offered to let him fuck me before I blanked out the other night. If he wants to do it in front of the whole Voss family, I don't care. Just so he talks to me. I'll walk all the way over there naked if that's what it takes. Please, please, just tell me!"

Theresa's statements were rather frightening, and Julia had not a single doubt that the desperate woman meant every word.

"Theresa, you don't understand. Even if you do this, I don't think he will talk to you."

"If there is even a chance, I'll do it. Please! What did he say?"

Julia cursed herself for letting anything show on her face before. If she stonewalled Theresa, she could lose her trust. Hopefully, if she repeated Terry's cynical joke, Theresa would be properly horrified and understand it's mean intent. She heaved a big sigh of resignation and told her. "He said if you shaved your pussy and served them all dinner naked, maybe he would talk to you."

If Julia had any doubt about the woman's level of desperation, it was finally erased right then. Rather than being horrified into understanding how hopeless it was to try to reach Terry, Theresa brightened as if given new hope. She gave a quick glance at the clock on Julia's wall, which showed three o'clock, then hastily grabbed her purse and darted from the office. She did not even gasp at the audacity of the demand, and she never even said goodbye. Julia probably could not have answered, anyway.

As if Theresa had not already changed dramatically, it seemed that the events of the other night had triggered another quantum leap. It appeared that any concern about self-image, modesty, or propriety had now been completely engulfed by her absolute need to avoid the final condemnation of her failed motherhood: complete loss of contact with one of her children.

Ashamed of the levity of the thought, but acknowledging that she needed something to ease the drama of the session, Julia caught herself smiling as she thought of Theresa undressing in the elevator on her way to the car. The humorous relief was all too brief. There was a serious question of whether she should have Theresa apprehended and committed.

That highlighted another dilemma. Everything from the sessions with Terry and Theresa was confidential. Yet, she would bet money that Theresa was going to show up at the Vosses', naked and shaved. A family of caring, giving people was about to be affected by the marginally crazy woman. Which was more ethical: keep everything confidential, or warn Betty Voss?

From the way Julie talked about her, Julia thought Betty must be a truly unusual person. She seemed to have handled Theresa's disaster the other night remarkably well. But now, Theresa would be begging to be allowed to serve dinner naked, Julia was sure of it. How would Betty feel about her husband and her younger son being exposed to that? Julia picked up the phone.

"Well, Dr. Waxman," Betty said after Julia identified herself, "It's a pleasure to talk to you. I'm so glad you were available the other night. That was pretty frightening. How is she?"

"That's what I called about. Sometime in the next hour, she will probably be at you door. She will be begging you to let her serve dinner tonight - naked."

"Gee, I hope Alan and the boys were planning to be here. I'd hate to have them miss that treat." With that, Betty giggled, and Julia gave an audible sigh of relief.

"Seriously, that doesn't bother you?"

"Well, a little. Theresa's tough competition. I'll probably have to do my own strip show to keep Alan's thoughts at home."

This conversation was turning out to be a very welcome relief for Julia. She was determined to meet Betty Voss. Shrinks need healthy, well-adjusted company once in a while. She also decided to push propriety even more. "I hear from Terry that it won't be a totally new experience for Alan."

That brought a belly laugh from Betty. "So you know about my one and only attempt at being an amateur shrink, huh? Say, can I ask? Why should I expect a naked maid tonight?"

Julia told her about Terry's joke and how Theresa reacted to it. "I hope I haven't dumped a big problem on you," Julia told her. "Are you concerned about you younger son - Marty, is it?"

"Good memory, Doc! Marty's a great kid. He will be hugely embarrassed for Theresa. But he'll look, and I'm glad he'll have the chance. I'll put on my big cloth napkins for tonight. He'll need it for his lap." Betty's hearty laugh sucked Julia right in and she could feel her own tension easing.

"I assume you want me to try and talk her out of it," Betty said.

"Oh, by all means!" Julia answered, "but I would rate your chances at about zero. You know I'm considering having her picked up and committed."

"Don't do that to protect us," Betty insisted. "We can handle it."

"I suspect you can. My real reason for holding off is to give her whatever small chance she might have. She is a woman right on the edge. If she can't connect with her son at least a little, I may lose her."

"That serious, huh? Well, Doc, we'll do everything we can to help. You, know, it's to our advantage, too."

"You mean because of Terry and your daughter?" Julia should not have let that out, but Betty was taking on so much.

"Yes," Betty said, then changed the subject. "Sometime when you have a minute, Julia, I'd like to tell you what happened after they took Theresa away. You might find some of it useful in understanding Theresa and Terry. You can also give me your opinion on whether I'm a pervert of a mother."

The two chuckled together again, then Betty turned sober. "Julia, I'm trying to help Terry see that he should patch things up with his mother, at least to some extent. Am I right?"

"Oh, definitely. I probably don't have to tell you this, but I will. Subtlety and delicacy are essential, here."

"Yeah, I assumed that. Julie comes right out and tells him, so I don't need to be obvious."

"She does, huh? That's good to hear. She carries an awful lot of anger herself."

"Isn't that the truth?"

"Well, I have a patient waiting. I have a break in an hour. Can we talk about afterward, then? Hey, I've got a better idea. Could you meet me at Maloney's Diner at seven tomorrow for breakfast? I think you may have an interesting story."

"Sure thing. And thanks for the heads up. Should be the most interesting dinner of the year - maybe of any year." With one last shared laugh, they hung up.

Betty was thankful for the warning about Theresa, but it still did not fully prepare her for Theresa's arrival. It was a rare summer afternoon when she was home alone, and that helped.

"Betty, I know you don't like me, but as a mother - would you help me?" Theresa blurted out as soon as the door was opened. Betty had rarely seen a look of such panic and near despair. It was almost enough to make her forget her antipathy toward the distraught woman.

"Theresa, I... how can I help you?" Betty was about to disavow her dislike, but that would have been a lie. She did not think Theresa would have believed her, anyway. She also decided not to let on that she knew what was going to happen.

"I have to serve dinner here tonight, naked. Will you let me? Please?"

"Why on earth... ?" Betty thought she was doing a pretty good acting job.

"Terry told Dr. Waxman that if I shaved my... my p... pussy and served everyone dinner, he might talk to me."

"Well, first, come in here where it's cool. Theresa, that doesn't sound like Terry, making a demand like that."

"Julia said he... he meant it as a joke - something ridiculous..."

"Then why would you do it. He still might not talk to you," Betty cautioned.

"If he said it, maybe he means it a little. It doesn't matter. If there's even a little chance, I have to do it. Maybe it will show him how serious I am. Maybe there is a little concern for me still in him. Will you let me?"

"Won't it be terribly hard to have Alan and Marty to see you?" Betty asked.

"I don't care about any of that. I just need to talk to Terry. Will it, uh, upset you for them to see me?"

"Oh, I'll be happy for them to have a treat. You have a beautiful body."

"Th... thank you. I... it's hard for me to understand how you can be so casual about it," Theresa stammered.

"Well, you're being pretty casual yourself."

"Oh, no. Part of me is terrified and embarrassed to death."

"So why do you want to do it?" Betty chided herself that she was playing shrink again, but she couldn't resist.

"You don't ever have to worry about losing your children - about having them hate you. Betty, I think I'll die if Terry won't at least talk to me once in a while. I know it's too late for them to ever love me, or even like me. But if they totally ignore me... What does humiliation matter compared to that?"

There was no question of Theresa's sincerity, or her determination. Betty knew from talking to Julie just how hard the nudity must be for the woman. Yet, she was blowing it off as if it was nothing. Literally, all that mattered was keeping contact with her son. Despite all the terrible history, Betty could not help but admire that kind of motherly instinct.

"Well, we'd better plan out how you want to do this before anyone comes home," Betty said.

"I, um... well, uh... there's a problem," Theresa stuttered out. "I've never shaved... down there." Then she rushed on. "I've trimmed with a scissors, but..."

"Theresa, why don't you just forget that part? I'm sure just your being naked will be enough to..."

"NO!! I'm not going to take any chances. Terry has to know that I will do anything he says. Anything!! When I was going crazy the other night, I even told him he could... he could f... f... fuck me. I meant it!"

"God!" Was all Betty could get out at first. She decided a quick change of subject was in order. "Because of my swimming, I've trimmed my pubes a lot, and shaved them, too. In fact," and she stopped to abruptly push down her shorts and panties, "I usually keep the lips almost bare and just leave hair above. You know, the crotches on those tank suits are not very wide."

Her display had the desired effect, as Theresa's jaw dropped. "I guess you want me to help you, huh?" Betty asked. "If I can make a suggestion, why don't you strip right now. The longer you have to get used to it, the less stressful it will be. We'll have you..." Betty kept up a rambling monologue as she led Theresa to the master bedroom. She was trying to keep her as calm as possible.

Betty gave Theresa all the advice she could, but she stopped at actually shaving her. As evidence of her innate modesty, Theresa was very uncomfortable having another woman see her privates so clearly. It amazed Betty even more that she was going through with her crazy plan, and she could easily see why the doctor had considered committing her. When she was bare, Theresa was obviously very uncomfortable. She kept touching her crotch, then looking at Betty and jerking her hand away.

Laying a large towel on the bed, Betty said "I'll leave you alone for a while. You need to take the edge off. Will fifteen minutes be enough? Tell you what, when I hear the shower, I'll know you're done."

"But I don't... I can't..."

"Yes you can. I'm afraid if you don't, you're going to flip out. Do it at least twice, OK?"

"Ohhhhh!" Theresa gurgled.

"Maybe this will help get you in the mood. I'm going to bring Alan and Marty in here to see you one at a time when they get home. I think it will be easier for you, and I know it will be for them."

"Oh, God!" Theresa breathed out, shaking noticeably.

"You're just finding out what you got yourself into, aren't you? Well, I'll bet your juices are running now. Please stay on the towel, OK?"

It was over twenty minutes, but the shower finally came on. Betty hurried upstairs and offered Theresa powder, perfume, and makeup, which she did not have with her since she came directly from her session. She sat and talked, trying to make things seem as natural as possible. It no longer seemed worthwhile to ask if Theresa really intended to go through with it.

Theresa had barely started primping when Betty heard the garage door go up. She knew it was Alan because it was his normal arrival time. "Alan's here. I'm going down to warn him, then we'll be right up."

"No, wait! Let me finish..." Theresa started to say.

"No, right now. So what if he sees you putting on makeup. My God, he's going to see every inch of you, anyway."

"Ohhhhh!" Theresa once again could muster no words.

"No way! That's just too much!" Alan protested when he was able speak after the shock of what Betty had just told him. "It's our house and our dinner time. Why should we get involved in their family dispute?" It was Betty's turn to have her jaw drop. For her gentle, congenial lover to react that way brought a stab of great uncertainty over what she had agreed to do for Theresa.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, both knowing enough to wait out the rush of emotions before saying anything they would regret. It was Alan who broke the impasse when his shoulders sagged and had said softly "It's hard to believe Terry really said that."

"Dr. Waxman insists it was a joke, something so ridiculous that no one would take it seriously. But Theresa did," Betty told him.

"So, what if he still won't talk to her?" Alan asked.

"She is so desperate, she'll take even the smallest chance," was her answer.

"But why do we have to be in the middle of this?"

"For Ellie," she answered.

"Huh?"

"I'm sure you must have noticed: she is hopelessly in love with Terry already. He feels the same way, but he refuses to show it because he doesn't want to hurt her. She doesn't know that, by the way."

"So, for Ellie's sake, we have to help Terry do the right thing, huh?"

"And it is the right thing," she assured him. "He won't be any kind of lover for her with all that hate still bottled up in him."

"Lover? Isn't that rushing things a bit?" he asked, a little shocked at her choice of words.

"Remember our first time? How much different is Ellie than I was then?"

"Ohhhh! God, where did my little girl go!"

"You, Stud, did a great job of helping her to be a woman," Betty said as she kissed him lightly. "Now, you need to go up there and help make it easier for that poor woman."

"The things I do for my family!" He complained dramatically. "I have to go up there and have a normal conversation with this Sophia Loren look-alike with a bare pussy and... Arrrrgh!" His teasing ended with a squeeze of his balls that barely qualified as gentle.

"And if you dare enjoy it one little bit..." she retorted, then gave him a hug and a serious kiss. She unzipped his pants and snaked her hand inside his shorts. He reached down and gently restrained her hand.

"Hey, no fair sending me up there already hard. I'm not the one who's supposed to be embarrassed, remember."

"Oh, I wouldn't to that. I was planning to reduce the threat," she said as she rubbed her body against him.

"Well, I appreciate the help, but you know how sweaty and grubby I get at work."

"You're so considerate. Tell you what. You go up and say hello, then take your shower. I'll come in and defuse you then," Betty told him.

"With her in the bedroom!?" he exclaimed. "Are we trying to redefine 'weird'?"

"Something like that," she said as she towed him toward the stairs. He had to break free to stop and re-zip his pants.

It was hard to tell who was the more nervous when Betty led Alan into the master bath a few minutes later. He tried to act natural, but he stammered on his greeting. She stayed huddled on the vanity stool, covering herself as much as possible.

"Theresa, I need you to move out to my little vanity in the bedroom. Alan always showers as soon as he gets home from work. Then, you two need to talk. I want you comfortable in front of at least someone at the table tonight." Betty wondered how she ended up directing this ridiculous production. She answered herself that it was really for Terry, and thus for Ellie. He needed to do what Julie had done and let his mother into his life at least a little bit.

Theresa remained huddled on the stool, looking uncertainly between Betty and Alan. "Honey," Betty told her, "at the table, everyone is going to see every inch of you. I'm trying to ease you into it. Just stand up and get it over with."

Theresa had a brief flashback to the horrifying session with Julie and Glen, but this time it was of her own doing, and nobody was trying to humiliate her. Focusing only on Terry and her longing to talk to him, she got to her feet and forced her arms to her sides. She was not able to look Alan in the face as she turned and tried not to run out of the bathroom, feeling his eyes on her backside as if they were a heat lamp.

Betty playfully took his chin in her hand and turned his redenning face from the retreating woman's bare bottom toward herself. She did not say anything, just grinned and gave him another kiss before reaching in to turn on the shower.

Betty went into the bedroom to find Theresa standing frozen like a statue. "Figuring out just what you got yourself into, huh?" she asked. Theresa did not say anything, but the slight straightening of the shoulders and jutting of the jaw was enough answer. "OK, I won't ask any more if you really want to go through with this. I'll be in the bathroom for a few minutes. Alan needs to get off so he won't be as likely to pop a hardon while he talks to you. Hate to have him have to do it himself." She giggled after she said that and almost instantly shed her clothes.

"You... mean... you... you... ?"

"Oh, come on, Theresa! From talking to Julie, I know you're no prude about sex."

"But... but this is so strange... I'm right here, and... and..."

"Honey, there ain't nothing about this whole deal that isn't off the scale for strange!" Betty was shaking her head as she walked into the bathroom.