Chapter 31 Fragments of Healing
*Mia’s POV**
The therapy room was nothing like I’d imagined. No leather couch no walls lined with dusty psychology books. Instead, soft. grey walls surrounded comfortable armchairs, and large windows let in natural light filtered through gauzy curtains. Dr. Sarah Matthews sat across from ine, her presence calm and grounding.
“Are you comfortable, Mia?” she asked, adjusting the small device that would guide my eye movements. Her voice carried that perfect blend of professional and compassionate that probably took years to master.
I nodded, though ‘comfortable‘ wasn’t quite the right word. The armchair embraced me like a cloud, but my nerves jangled with anticipation. Or was it fear?
“Remember,” she continued, “EMDR therapy helps process traumatic memories by engaging both sides of your brain. Just follow the light with your eyes, and let your thoughts flow naturally. There’s no right or wrong way to experience this.”
The light began moving, a gentle rhythm like a metronome. Left to right. Left to right. My eyes followed automatically.
“Think back to that night,” Dr. Matthews said softly. “What do you see?”
The stairs. Always the stairs first.
“Marble,” I whispered, the memory crystallizing with unexpected clarity. “Cold under my feet. Taylor at the top, smiling That red lipstick she always wears – Dior Rouge 999. Kyle’s favorite.”
Left to right. Left to right.
“What happened next?”
“She pushed me. I tried to catch myself, but…” My hands clenched on the armrests. “The fall felt so slow. Like floating. But the impact…”
“Stay with that moment. What do you feel?”
“Pain. Sharp, everywhere. But mostly…” My hand drifted to my stomach. “I knew. Even before I saw the blood, I knew they were
gone.”
The light continued its steady rhythm. Memories flowed like water each one sharp and clear.
“Kyle chose her.” The words tasted like ashes. “He carried her away while I lay there bleeding. Our babies…” My voice cracked. ”
He didn’t even look back.”
“And what do you feel now, remembering that?”
“Rage.” The answer surprised me with its intensity. “And grief. And… emptiness. Like something vital was ripped out of me, and I’ll never be whole again.”
Left to right. Left to right.
“Tell me about your mother.”
The change in subject should have been jarring, but somehow it flowed naturally. “She’s so still now. In the hospital. Tubes everywhere. She used to be so vibrant, you know? Even after Dad left us for Taylor’s mother. She’d still find reasons to smile.”
“What’s your strongest memory of her?”
The light’s rhythm seemed to pull the memory forward. “I was fifteen. Right after Dad moved Taylor and her mother in. Mom found me crying in the garden. She held me and said…” My throat tightened. “Sometimes love isn’t enough, sweetheart. But that doesn’t mean we stop loving.“”
“Did you understand what she meant then?”
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Chapter 31 Fragments of Healing
“No.” A tear slid down my check. “I do now.”
+25 BONUS
The memories came faster now, each one sharp as broken glass. Mom teaching me to paint. Dad packing away her things while Taylor watched with that triumphant smile. Kyle’s cold eyes when signed our marriage contract. The emptiness of our bed when he stayed with Taylor. The twins on the ultrasound screen, two precious heartbeats I’d never hear again.!
“Stop.” The word burst from me. “Please, I need to stop.”
Dr. Matthews immediately turned off the light. “Of course. You did very well, Mia. First sessions are often the most intense.”
I wiped my eyes with shaking hands. The tissues she offered were soft, expensive – everything in this clinic spoke of Kyle’s influence.
“What you’re feeling is normal,” she said gently. “Trauma doesn’just live in our minds – it lives in our bodies, our nervous systems. Today we just started the process of releasing it.”
“Will it always hurt this much?”
“The pain changes,” she replied carefully. “It becomes more manageable. But healing isn’t about forgetting it’s about learning to carry our experiences without being crushed by them.
She wrote something in her notebook. “I’m going to prescribe some mild anti–anxiety medication. Just for the short term, to help you sleep. And I’d like to see you twice a week initially.”
Inodded mechanically, too drained to argue.
“And Mia?” She waited until I met her eyes. “Be gentle with yourself. Take things slowly. Maybe do something normal today – something just for you.”
The driver was waiting outside, Kyle’s standing orders no doubt, but I couldn’t face the confined space of the car. Couldn’t face going back to that empty house filled with memories of last night’s almost–intimacy.
“I’ll walk,” I told the driver. “Please tell Mrs. Chen not to wait with lunch.”
IT
The winter air bit at my cheeks as I walked, but the cold felt clarifying after the emotional intensity of therapy. The city moved around me in its usual rhythm – businesspeople hurrying to meetings, tourists taking photos, couples walking hand in hand.
I wandered without purpose until a small café caught my eye. The windows glowed warmly, and something about the hand- painted sign – “The Copper Bean” – drew me in. Inside, exposed brick walls and copper light fixtures created an atmosphere that felt both industrial and cozy. The leather chairs were worn in that perfectly comfortable way, and local art covered the walls.
“Welcome to The Copper Bean!” The barista’s enthusiasm seemed genuine rather than practiced. His nametag read ‘Alex‘, and his smile reached his eyes. “First time here?”
I nodded, oddly touched by his welcome.
“Then you have to try our house special – Colombian beans with a hint of vanilla and orange zest. Trust me, it’ll change your
life.”
“That sounds… nice.” When was the last time I’d ordered coffee just because it sounded nice, not because it was what Kyle preferred?
I chose a corner table, half–hidden by a potted fern. The café hummed with life around me. Two college students at the next table debated their thesis topics, gesturing animatedly. An elderly couple shared a massive cinnamon roll, feeding each other bites between fond smiles. A young mother bounced a baby on her knee while typing one–handed on a laptop.
They all seemed so… normal. Happy. When was the last time I’d felt that way?
“Mind if I join you?”
I looked up to find a young man standing by my table. He was classically handsome easy smile that probably worked on most women.
warm brown eyes, artfully tousled hair, an
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Chapter 31 Fragments of Healing
“I’m Daniel,” he continued, already pulling out the chair oppost Someone as beautiful as you shouldn’t drink coffee by themselv
The line was smooth, practiced. Once, maybe, it would have mad “I’m married,” I said quietly, though my wedding ring was cons) “I don’t see a ring.” His simile widened. “Come on, just give me y “No.” Something in my tone must have finally registered, becau
He opened his mouth to argue, but someone appeared suddenly i
Kyle.
Chapter 31 Fragments of Healing
+25 BONUS
“I’m Daniel,” he continued, already pulling out the chair opposite mine, “I couldn’t help but notice you sitting here alone. Someone as beautiful as you shouldn’t drink coffee by themselves
The line was smooth, practiced. Once, maybe, it would have made me blush. Now it just felt… empty.
“I’m married,” I said quietly, though my wedding ring was conspicuously absent – I’d stopped wearing it after losing the babies.
“I don’t see a ring.” His smile widened. “Come on, just give me your number. We could get dinner, see where things go…”
“No.” Something in my tone must have finally registered, because his smile faltered. “Please leave.”
He opened his mouth to argue, but someone appeared suddenly at our table. “Is there a problem here?”
Kyle.
