I observed her for a moment.
“I don’t want you overwhelmed, Rabbit. Maybe … you need someone to talk to? Someone who won’t go crazy at the mention of the bastard’s name?”
“You mean therapy?”
I nodded and reached over to hold her hand. “To help you deal with this. Move forward.”
She was quiet for a moment and then nodded. “I think I need to, Joshua. I need to put this in the past.” Her hand lifted to her stomach. “I have so much to move forward for.”
I leaned forward and kissed her softly. My brave girl. She was so much stronger than she gave herself credit for. I looked down at her tiny hand holding mine over our child. My gaze drifted to the window. There was a whole world out there that our child would need to be a part of; school, friends, birthday parties, appointments. I thought of memories of my own childhood: parent/teacher nights, school concerts, trips to the zoo, family vacations … I had to be able to be there for our child as well. I wouldn’t be able to do so if I couldn’t walk past the fucking gate. We both had to move forward.
“Then I think we both should go for some counseling, Rabbit. You need someone you can talk to about your past and I need to push forward. Our baby is going to grow up and need a world outside these gates and I want to be at their side when they walk through them.”
She smiled widely. “Oh, Joshua. Yes. You can do this. I know you can.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and held me tight. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Both of us, Rabbit. We both need this. We’ll talk to Trina and you can decide if you want to become her patient as well or if there is someone else you would prefer. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
She nodded in agreement. “Okay, Joshua. We’ll both go.”
I nodded. “Okay. I’ll make the call.”
I pulled her back to me and held her, breathing in her soft scent deeply.
Together we would do this. For ourselves, for each other and for our family.
The change in Lizzy was obvious when Adam visited two weeks later. She was already looking healthier. The smoothies and rest were doing their job and Adam told her so as he kissed her cheek and shook my hand.
His grin was wide as he looked at the fresh pie sitting on the counter. Rabbit knew lemon was his favourite and had made sure to make one before he arrived. He insisted on going through all the legal items first so that he could sit and enjoy his ‘treat’ afterwards.
My brow furrowed as I looked at Adam across the table. “He dropped the adultery charge? Did he finally use his brain for once?”
He nodded. “He has agreed to a quiet divorce. And, surprisingly, the counseling as well as the donation. I have the signed agreement papers. These will go to a judge next. Since neither party is contesting it, things should move along quickly.”
I looked over at Rabbit who was sitting, suddenly pale and quiet, beside me. I knew how worried she had been about the proceedings. When I had told her about the adultery charge a few days ago, I had been surprised at her reaction. She had simply shrugged and said, “Let him.” When she saw my shock, she had smiled. “I don’t care how he is gone from my life as long as he is, Joshua. If it makes him feel like a big man to blame me, let him. I have no plans on seeing any of the people he associated with ever again anyway.” Then she had frowned. “Unless it would reflect badly on you? On your career? That the press would use that?” Her eyes had widened as she spoke and I hastened to alleviate her worries.
“Rabbit, I don’t give a flying fuck what anyone else thinks. All I care about is you. And, I agree getting rid of that bastard is the priority here. I just hate that he gets to have the upper hand here.”
“But he doesn’t,” she had insisted. “I don’t care if people see it as him divorcing me rather than me divorcing him. In the grand scheme of things, it just doesn’t matter, does it? As long as he is gone from our lives?”
I smiled and kissed her. As usual, she was right. If she was happy, safe and free from him, that was all that mattered.