Kathleen And Colleen

The next day was the one Max had been dreading since that rude detective walked through her door. She was going to meet the lawyer that would be fighting against Eric Dalton. Max didn't even understand why she dreaded it so much. This was meant to be a good thing.

A knock at the door made her and Anna jump, and Jeremy rushed to answer it. As he swung the door open a hand popped out.

"Mr. Redding! My name is Kathleen Davis. Thank you for having me!"

Jeremy shook her hand quickly. Max thought if he didn't, she would buzz by him at any moment. She was clearly more energetic than the rest of them.

To Max's surprise, Kathleen looked like a model, with dark skin and light brown eyes. Kathleen was beautiful, but it was clear in her face that if she needed answers, she knew exactly how to get them. She spoke with confidence: no hesitation and no fear.

"Of course, Ms. Davis. We're glad to have you."

Max snorted quietly, but not quietly enough that they didn't hear. Anna snickered while Jeremy and Kathleen clearly chose to ignore her. Kathleen strolled in, smirking at the two girls seated on the leather couch.

"You must be Max." Kathleen nodded at her and Max was impressed that she actually cared enough to know what she looked like beforehand. Detective Logan hadn't even remembered her name.

As Kathleen was about to speak, Max saw her notice Anna's squinted eyes looking her up and down.

"Anna, correct?"

"YEAH." Anna said it like she might jump over the table.

"I can assure you that I will take good care of your friend." Kathleen looked back to Max. "We have a piece of shit to lock up, yeah?"

Max didn't know what to say, but a bad-ass lawyer that cussed was alright by her.

"It looks that way, Ms. Davis—"

"Oh please, call me Kathleen. We don't get professional until we're in that courtroom."

She took a seat facing Max and Anna. "May I say, Max, your return is frickin unbelievable."

Jeremy scrunched his face. Max was certain her soft-spoken dad hadn't expected a lawyer with such juvenile language. The girls giggled as Jeremy threw his arms up.

"Well, I guess you ladies are going to get along famously!"

Kathleen, Anna, and Max laughed emphatically with Jeremy standing there confused. "Yes indeed! I'll be in the kitchen, gals. If you need me, call me!" Max smiled at him as he snapped around awkwardly and left the room.

"Your dad seems very nice."

Max smiled and looked at her dad bouncing happily from the fridge to the oven. "He's my hero."

"You're a lucky girl! My dad is a jerk!"

They laughed once again before the serious talking began.

"Now, I know that this must be scary for you. This man brutalized you and Rachel, but you need to come to terms with the fact that he is going to be there. He may even look at you. Don't react. It will make you look angry and unstable, does that make sense?"

"Yes. Should be easy — he's the one that taught me to abandon my emotions."

Anna looked like she was about to comfort her when Kathleen spoke.

"Hell yes. However you need to do it is good by me."

Anna and Max grinned, and Max felt thankful that Kathleen was so confident in her.

"Now, I understand that you've never actually told anyone what happened to you?"

Max started to shift uncomfortably in her seat. "Yes . . . I haven't really been able to . . ."

"Well, I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to have to hear it. I'm sorry, love, but I can't just toss you up there. Do you understand?"

Max gulped, her thoughts engulfed in fear. "Uh huh."

The next few hours were used to prep Max for any situation that might go down in the courtroom. Everything went reasonably well until Kathleen needed to hear her story.

"It's time, darling. This is the last thing, then I'll leave you alone."

Max's leg started shaking and Kathleen reached over and took her hand. "It's going to be okay, Max. I promise you can trust me."

Max nodded her head and looked at Anna. She felt terrible for wanting to leave the room, but she just couldn't let her or her father hear. Today was not the day.

Max's distress was tangible, and she was grateful that Kathleen picked up on it and asked, "Would you like to go to your bedroom? Would that make you more comfortable?"

"Yes."

Max got up slowly, shaking. They continued to her bedroom, where, for the very first time, Max would reveal the horrors of her past.

An hour had passed when Kathleen left Max's room smiling, but Max couldn't ignore that Kathleen's eyes were subtly red. Her mind swirled at the thought of her dad knowing that what Max had told her could make even a hardened lawyer cry.

"You have a really special daughter, Mr. Redding," Max heard Kathleen say. "She'll be ready in no time." Kathleen took a loud deep breath before speaking again. "Max asked me to tell you that she wants to be alone for a while. She's fine, I promise. Just a bit tired."

Jeremy and Anna spoke up nervously at the same time. "Of course."

"Well! I'll be going! Was lovely to meet you both, I'll see you very soon."

Max wanted to be polite and say something, but she couldn't find the words. The silence from her dad and Anna showed that they didn't know what to say either.

Kathleen left the house and Max heard them both walk slowly to their rooms and shut their doors. After these last few hours, Max wasn't surprised that she wasn't the only one who needed to be alone.

A few days passed with more nightmares and more awkward breakfasts before Max's dad finally suggested a plan to get her mentally healthier.

"I'm not going to therapy, Dad." She shook her head vigorously. "No shot, I'm sorry."

He started to speak when Anna jumped in. "Babe, we don't want you to suffer anymore. These nightmares and flashbacks, you can't possibly want them to continue?"

"Of course I don't!" Max threw her hands up and sighed. "How is some person I don't know supposed to help me? They won't understand!"

Jeremy softly spoke, looking into Max's eyes. "That could be what you need, honey."

Max was about to argue, but he continued. "We can't give you the help you need, and you are very uncomfortable talking to us about what happened to you. I don't want to upset you, but this pain won't just disappear."

Max knew her father was right. "I'm just scared, okay?" She felt defeated, knowing that she most likely couldn't get out of this. "I will try. Because I love you, but I am NOT promising I'll be nice to whoever it is."

Max crossed her arms as Anna giggled, "That's right, babe, give 'em hell!" She squeezed Max's shoulder. "Let them know who's boss."

Jeremy shook his head with a sarcastic eye roll directed at Anna. "Well, I guess that's that! I will call around, okay?"

Max smiled unconvincingly. "Great."

Jeremy stood up quickly and walked straight to the computer, practically dancing. Max knew he had been ready for a while to find someone Max could finally talk to.

Anna shifted her gaze to Max.

"Max." Anna turned to face her. "It's going to be okay."

Max turned to face Anna as well.

"Babe, I'll drive you there and wait outside. You won't be alone, I promise."

Max just stared back at her with nothing to say. She managed an "okay" before retreating to her room. Max wanted to be alone and that was becoming more and more difficult. She felt overwhelmingly grateful to have her room where she could escape, and with that thought, she immediately fell asleep. An hour later, Max was woken abruptly by the slam of the front door. She heard a female voice say quietly, "Oops! Sorry." Max recognized the voice, it was Miss Delia. She got up intending to say hello, but before she could reach the door she heard a sniffle. It sounded like her father was crying. Eavesdropping was Anna's thing, but Max couldn't help herself. She knew he was crying about her. Delia spoke quickly. "Oh, Jeremy. I came as fast as I could. What's wrong, hun?" Max heard him sniffle again before answering her question. "It's just been so hard, Delia." Max heard him sigh loudly as he started speaking. "Of course my heart is full now that I have Violet back, but I can't seem to shake the feelings I had when she was gone." His voice was getting heavier with each word. "I feel haunted by them every night." Max felt a tear run down her face. She had never really stopped to think about the trauma her father went through and she suddenly felt incredibly selfish. "Well, why don't you tell me about it?" Delia said softly. Jeremy quickly said, "Oh, no . . . I don't want to burden you . . ." As his voice trailed off Max smirked hearing Delia interrupt. "Jeremy. Sit." Her dad's sigh was loud, but she heard his footsteps then a small bump that Max assumed was him dropping on the couch.

"I remember everything so clearly, Delia. My life was filled with happiness and just like that," Max heard him snap his fingers, "everything shattered." Delia sighed. "Jeremy, I so wish you had reached out. I can't believe you went through all of this by yourself." Max didn't hear any reaction from her dad, but knew he was shrugging his shoulders acting like it was no big deal. His words painted a different picture. "Max doesn't understand the type of child she was. Everyone adored her. She thinks that no one cares about her now and it is so difficult to deal with because every time I see her I want to wrap my arms around her and tell her how perfect she is." Max's tears had begun falling to the floor as she thought to herself,

Perfect? Please. Not even close. Jeremy started sniffling again. Every audible cry was breaking Max's heart a little more. "Delia, when I finally admitted to myself that Violet had been abducted, something inside me died." Max heard Delia start sniffling too and it made Max feel even more heart-broken. "Well, Jeremy. I knew you had a hard time, but this is devastating and you never deserved any of it." Max smiled through her tears at Delia's kindness. "I know it's hard to cope, but you WILL. I promise. She is back somehow, it truly is a miracle and now you can both heal." Max heard her dad sniffle once more accompanied by a small laugh. "Delia, I don't know how you do it, but thank you for always listening." Delia's calming laugh chimed as she said sweetly, "I will always be here for you Jeremy. And for Max." The house fell silent as Max heard a door slam. Max figured Delia had left so she slowly stood up straight and headed to the living room. She had been so trapped in her mind that she never looked around to see the pain everyone else had been through. She hesitantly stepped into the room seeing her dad wiping his tears away. Max mumbled, "Uh, hey dad . . ." His head popped up and he looked embarrassed like he had been caught doing something bad. Max had trouble finding the right words to say, so she asked him a simple question. "Are you okay?" He smiled at her weakly and let out a laugh that sounded more like a sigh. "Hey, kid!" Max didn't have the emotional strength to pretend everything was fine and smile back. "Dad, I'm sorry for listening, but I heard you and Delia." Her dad looked surprised and then embarrassed again as he lowered his head. "I'm so sorry that you heard that, Max . . . " His voice trailed off as Max stepped forward. "No. I am sorry." She shook her head as he looked up. "I have been so selfish to assume that you were fine through all of this. I want to talk about it. About what happened and how it hurt you." He tilted his head with a sad look in his eyes. "If you want to talk, I am always here. Are you sure you want to talk about me? You've been through enough without taking my stuff in." Max rolled her eyes and sat down next to him. "I am not taking on anything that I don't want to, dad. It can't be like that. Where everyone worries about me and I don't get to worry about you. I love you." He looked like he might cry again and Max took his hand. "It's like I told Anna. You matter. I matter. All of us are a family and we all need each other." Max's dad finally gave her a real smile. "Damn. When did you get so insightful?" Max laughed and shut her eyes. "Heart of gold, remember? Makes you that way apparently." They laughed and hugged before Max jumped up. "Now, get it together dad! You're embarrassing me." He put his right hand to his forehead as he said, "Yup! JUST like your mother!" Even though her dad found her a therapist by nightfall and things were happening faster than she wanted, this time she felt different. After talking to her dad, she decided not to argue anymore. If she was going to give this all-knowing therapist a try, she had to be strong for his sake. So she shut her mind off, got in the car the next day, and accepted her fate.

Colleen Liu worked at a doctor's office in Moosic, Pennsylvania, about a half-hour drive from the Redding home. Apparently, she was one of the best therapists around and everyone was positive she could help Max become a normal person again. Max, however, was positive this lady would irritate her for forty-five minutes and then she would be lucky enough to get to do it once a week.

Anna parked Jeremy's car that he'd reluctantly let her drive right outside the office and happily hopped out, ready to enter the building. Max crawled out the passenger side and joined her slowly at the door. The inside was dull, with a light navy-blue carpet and white walls. Max noticed the "feel good" posters on the wall promising that everything would be okay and that we were all special in our own way. She rolled her eyes. Each poster got more cheesy the closer they got to the window where they would check in. After filling out papers and answering questions, Anna and Max sat down on the old, faded green chairs in the waiting room. No words were exchanged; they just sat watching other people's names get called and waiting for Max's turn.

"Max Redding?"

The girls perked up and fear surged through Max's body. She looked at the woman and lazily climbed out of her chair. "Uh yeah, hey," Max gulped. "That's me."

"Wonderful!" The woman's smile shined as she motioned toward the door. Max hesitantly followed her from the waiting room to an equally dull office.

Colleen was a small woman, short and skinny. She had jet black hair, fair skin, and a kind face.

Colleen and Max sat staring at each other for at least two minutes without speaking. Colleen was obviously quite used to these types of interactions, but it was driving Max insane, so she decided to break the silence.

"Look, I don't know you and you don't know me, so can we just get the voodoo therapist stuff over with?"

"What stuff?"

"You know, making me feel better, whatever."

"Well, that implies that you do feel bad?"

"You're really annoying."

"Not the first time I've heard that!"

Max sighed and dropped her head into her hands.

"Let's start with something happier, is that okay?"

"Depends," Max sneered.

Colleen laughed. "Tell me about your childhood before what happened to you."

"It was perfect. Then my mom died, but even after that it was near perfect because of my dad."

Colleen looked genuinely interested in what Max had to say. "Your dad gave you a good life?"

"Yeah. I could tell he was in pain after my mom died, but he never showed it. Not while I was around."

"Sounds like he loves you very much."

"Yeah."

"And you love him, too?"

"Dude. YES, obviously." Max rolled her eyes at the ridiculous question.

"Have you mentioned that to him? Or felt like you wanted to?"

"I guess a few times. I haven't thought about it, honestly. Seeing Anna, seeing him, coming back here . . . it's all been so much."

"Overwhelming?"

"Hell yeah."

"What is the most overwhelming part, do you think?"

Max shifted in her seat and took a breath. "I guess just having all of this attention on me. I was trying very hard to disappear before Anna pushed her way in."

"Why did you want to disappear?"

"Because I didn't want anyone to see me. I didn't even want to see me."

Colleen shook her head understandingly. "You've been through so much, I think that makes perfect sense."

Max scrunched her face, looking at the doctor suspiciously. ". . . You do?"

"Of course, Max. From what I can tell, I think you're incredibly concerned about people you love wasting their time on you, because you don't think you have any value. Does that sound accurate to you?"

"I mean . . . yes . . ."

"Remember. Your family loves you. That's why they want you, that's why they do things. Not because they feel bad for you. They want you to take your experiences and overcome them because you deserve it." Colleen raised her left eyebrow with a subtle grin on her face. "Whether you like it or not, you deserve it."

Max sat still with her mouth half open. "How . . . how did you do that . . . ?"

"Therapist voodoo."

Max laughed to herself quietly. "Right, yes."

Colleen's face returned to its kind and gentle look. "I think that is enough for today, Max. I don't want to push you. I know that we are going to work well together and I hope you feel that way as well."

Max got up and headed to the door, but before exiting she turned around. "I think you're much less annoying than I originally thought."

She smirked and left Colleen's office feeling more hopeful that they could find a way to bring some peace to her life. She would never admit it to anyone, but Max knew she had been wrong and she was happy she'd met Colleen. For the first time, Max really did feel like she saw a light shining through the darkness she knew so well.