CANDIES

       Faith woke up dreading her doctor's appointment. It would be the second day of seeing doctor Adriana Sanchez and she wasn't ready to start convincing anyone that she was alright. What was she going to say this time? She groaned and started easing herself out of the bed. Ethan was on the couch in the room. Memories of the other day came flooding back to her, but she stopped herself from thinking about it. She slowly walked up to him, stooped and looked at him closely. 

       She had always convinced herself that she wouldn't let herself fall in love again, at least not with a new person. She was content with Noah, he was okay for her, he was rich and ready, he had proposed to her once and she didn't see why he won't do that again, at least she was turning into the kind of woman he wanted. Sexy and sassy. But why does she always dream of Ethan? He has taken over her dreams. He was the last person she thinks of before she sleeps off and always the first person she thinks of when she awakes. She reminisces about their recent kisses and it has always given her that flutter in her abdomen. Why was she always thinking of him? 

      She exhaled softly and looked up, away from him. Even as she thought of that, the scenes played out in her head and she kept smiling. When she was done daydreaming, she looked back at him. His eyes were open, staring straight at her. 

      "What are you staring at?" he asked. 

  She gasped and in her bid to move back, lost her balance and fell on her butt. He sat up, looking at her and tilting his head. He started to snicker, then it turned to a chuckle, she joined him and they were laughing aloud the next moment. 

     Dolores was going over to the kitchen when she heard their laughter. She stood, glanced at Faith's door and shook her head. "Those two," she said and went her way. 

       Their laughter gradually began to subside and they stared at each other. Ethan couldn't comprehend why she was looking exceptionally beautiful that morning, but she looks beautiful anytime.

    When they had finally stopped laughing, and only stared at each other, he asked,   "Why can't we just be friends, Faith?" 

      "But we are friends..."

      "Real friends, not because one circumstance or the other brings us together, let's just leave the formalities, you can address me by my first name and not. "Mr Floyd."  He indicated the last two words as quotation marks with his fingers. 

     She chuckled and looked down at her fingers for a while. Why couldn't she be friends with him? He hasn't done anything bad to her, it wasn't his fault that they ended up in the same house because of some fraudulent landlord. She looked up at him and with a smile and shrugged.  "Let's be friends then." 

       "Let's be friends?" he asked chuckling and standing.

       "Let's be friends." She chuckled with him.  "But...No strings attached." 

      He smiled and shook his head slightly.  "No strings attached," he repeated and stretched his hand towards her.  "Cheers to friendship." 

      She grabbed his hand and he drew her up. It was so sudden that she couldn't control her speed. Her bosom hit the wall of his chest and something burst in her. They still stared at each other and their face moved closer, she started gasping and her heart started racing again, his breath fanned her face as his face came closer and closer. Their nose touched and their lips were about to jam when common sense returned to her. She needed to see her doctor. 

       She quickly pulled away breathing heavily. He smiled at her. She went over to the closet to fish out clothes to go out with. 

       "Are you going to work today?" he asked sitting back on the couch. 

      "Yes...no, I have an appointment."  She took out the clothes she had had in mind. 

      "I'll leave you to get dressed then." 

    She nodded. He stood up and left the room. She sat on her bed and stared at the door for a while, then shook her head and stood to go take a shower. 

       Dr Adriana smiled up at her when she entered, she returned the smile for courtesy's sake and took a seat that she motioned her to take.

      "I must say I'm surprised that you showed up again," the doctor said looking at the files on her table. 

      "Why?" 

       "You didn't strike me like you would show up here again." 

     Faith rolled her eyes.  "What made you think that?" 

    The young doctor looked up at her, the smile still on her face.   "First, you hated that you were sent to see a psychiatrist, second you felt I was too young to understand what you were saying..." 

      "I have no problem with your age. It's your profession and you have mastered it. I'm quite young myself. Besides, I promised my doctor that I would be here, so here I am." 

     The doctor smiled, opened her drawer and took out a plate filled with different candies, she placed it in front of Faith.   "Candies?" 

    Faith stared at it for a while.  The doctor looked down again, writing something on her file. 

      "No, thank you," Faith said. 

The doctor looked up at her again, the smile still on her face.  "Not so many people reject that." 

      "Why?" 

      "Because it helps them relax their minds and nerves. It makes them feel comfortable in other cases confident." 

       "I'm confident enough." 

        "Are you comfortable?" the doctor asked and stared steadily at her. 

        "Depends on how you make me feel." 

     Dr Adriana smiled more broadly.  "I wouldn't waste your time, we would go into today's business. Where did I stop last time?" She went through her pad. 

      Faith stared at her for a while and cleared her throat.  "So why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself. You look too young to be a doctor. Are you married? Any kids?" 

    The doctor looked up from the pad. Faith suddenly felt stupid for asking such questions. It was none of her business, really.  "We are here to talk about you, Faith." 

     Faith exhaled in exasperation.  "What else do you want me to say? I have said everything there is to say about me!" 

      "Have you?" the doctor asked tilting her head to the side and regarded Faith seriously.  

       "What do you want me to say?" 

       "Anything you want to say, what's really bothering you, what's..." 

      "I'm really uncomfortable now." 

      "Eat some candies then," the doctor urged.  "It would make you relax." 

      Faith didn't understand how candy helps one to relax but she took two packs of candy unwrapped them and threw them into her mouth. 

        "I did almost the whole talking last time I came here and you are still asking me to talk?" 

         "You have not said anything," said the doctor. 

     Faith's eyes were wide and shocked.  "What?" 

       "You only talked about what you do, Faith. You went on and on about how okay you are, you haven't said anything significant about yourself. The only thing I know about you is that you are a therapist." 

        "Because that's who I am." 

           "No, how do you feel about you?" 

             "I don't understand." 

              "Who are you? Who are you aside from being a therapist?" 

       Faith stared at her. She knew where the psychiatrist was going. "I think you are deviating from the main point here. I have stomach issues, what has that got to do with my mental health?" 

       "We are not talking about your stomach problem." 

        "What are we talking about or rather what should we talk about?" Faith asked. 

        "We are looking into stress which is causing you more harm than good.". 

        "Exactly my point. We should talk about how I could manage the stress not knowing about me."

       "Faith has it occurred to you that you are being difficult to penetrate and that will be giving us little or no help. I told you the first day that you should let me do my job. I'm glad you are into this line of work, do you find your clients usually this frustrating?"

       Faith stared at the doctor, unable to say anything else. The doctor took a deep breath. 

      "I'm sorry if I sounded a bit unprofessional but I am human too. It's frustrating when we go around in circles, repeating the same thing that we have said. I have tried to make you as comfortable as I can.  Do you have a best friend? I mean there must be someone..."

       "I have a best friend," Faith interrupted. 

       "Good, now look at me like that. You do know that whatever you say here is highly confidential." Faith nodded.  "So, I am your ally, not your enemy. Imagine that I am your best friend and answer my questions." The doctor stared into Faith's eyes.  "How long have you had physical problems?" 

       "With my stomach?" 

       "Yes. Do you have any other?" 

        "A long time now, I can't really remember when it started. You are not hypnotising me, are you?" 

     The doctor shook her head.  "I'm not. Not today." 

      "Alright," Faith said nervously.

       "I will like you to go home today and reflect on yourself. In our next session, we will do better." 

       Faith was surprised that the section had come to an end. She couldn't tell if she was happy or sad, but she stood and left the office. 

     Dr Adrian a Sanchez stared after her until she was out. She shook her head, she would have to use a completely different approach for her.