I show up early for the next visit. Too early, I sit in my car outside the center with my hands locked around the steering wheel, staring at the brick wall in front of me like it owes me something.
The engine’s off and the silence in the car feels too loud. I’ve got twenty minutes to kill, and no part of me knows what to do with them.I already know I won’t go inside early. I don’t want Aaron to see me waiting like I’m desperate even though I am.Desperate doesn’t even cover what I’m feeling.I’m not waiting for a miracle.
I’m just waiting for something small a smile, a joke, a flicker of trust. I’d settle for him looking me in the eyes a full five seconds without shutting down.That would be enough, that would be everything.When I finally step inside, the counselor gives me a nod like she’s trying not to smile.
“He’s in the room already.”I blink.
“He’s early?”She shrugs.
“He came in quiet. Said he didn’t want to wait in the car anymore.”
That lands heavy, quiet but sharp. He did
