clapped a hand over her mouth to keep
the giggles in. Bradley turned towards her, his eyebrows raised. “Oh, so you
think that’s funny, do you?”
“No Daddy,” she choked, her hand
still over her mouth. “I don’t think it’s funny.”
“Good,” he replied with a satisfied nod.
“I think it’s hee - sterical ,” she added with a chorus of giggles.
Mary laughed. “That was brilliant, Clarissa,” she said.
The inner office door opened and the laughter stopped
immediately. All eyes went to the
professional looking woman standing in the doorway. Her brown hair was pulled back in an
efficient French twist, her business suit was navy blue and her tailored blouse
was a crisp blue pinstripe. She looked
down at the clipboard in her hand for a moment and then looked up again at the
three of them. “The Alden family?” she asked.
“Yes, that’s us,” Bradley said.
She nodded and added a wisp of a smile. “Please, come in,
all of you,” she said, motioning into her office.
All three Aldens stood at the same
time, like a choreographed marching band, and walked into her office, pausing
in front of the long couch against the wall.
“Please sit,” Dr. Springler commanded politely and all three Aldens sat, Bradley and Mary on either side of
Clarissa.
Dr. Springler sat across from them on a leather office
chair, her pen poised on the yellow pad on the clipboard and nodded. “Now, why
don’t you tell me why you’re here today and what you’d like to get out of our
meetings together?”
Clarissa’s eyes widened and Mary could see the panic in
them. “Why don’t I start,” Mary suggested, “since I was the one who set up the
appointment.”
Dr. Springler nodded for Mary to continue.
“We are an unusual family,” Mary said. “Clarissa is
Bradley’s natural daughter, but she was lost to him for eight years and they finally
found each other. Clarissa has been
through all kinds of challenging situations in her young life - the loss of
both her adoptive parents, a threat on her life and now, helping us figure out
how to become a family. Bradley and I
were recently married and we are figuring out how to be a couple, but also how
to be parents. We both love Clarissa,
but we understand that she has gone through a lot and needs time to learn how
to trust us.”
Dr. Springler looked at Clarissa. “What do you think about
what your mother just said?” she asked. “Do you consider her your mother?”
Clarissa looked at Mary before responding to the doctor.
Mary smiled at her. “Tell her what you really feel,” she encouraged. “You’re
not going to hurt my feelings. I want
you to be able to tell the truth.”
Dr. Springler turned from Clarissa to Mary. “Actually, she might hurt your feelings,” she
said. “She should still tell the truth, but Clarissa needs to understand that
you have feelings too. Feelings that can get hurt when someone is thoughtless.”
Clarissa nodded and took a deep breath. “I had a first mom,
I never knew her because she died when I was born, but Maggie told me about
her. And then I had another mom, she adopted me, and she died too.”
“Do you think all of your moms are going to die?” the doctor
asked.
At first Clarissa just looked at the doctor, then a single
tear slipped down her cheek and she finally nodded quickly. “Yes,” she
whispered. “I think moms die.”
“How about dads,” Dr. Springler asked. “Do dads die?”
Clarissa shook her head. “No, not like moms,” she said.
“Daddy Bradley has been looking for me since I was a baby. He never stopped and he didn’t die. My moms
get sick and die, bad guys don’t get them.”
“Ah, well that does make a difference, doesn’t it,” Dr.
Springler said. “Are you worried about Mary getting sick?”
Clarissa glanced at Mary and then back at the doctor. “I
heard her throwing up, in the morning,” she said, her voice quivering. “My
adopted mom threw up every day.
the giggles in. Bradley turned towards her, his eyebrows raised. “Oh, so you
think that’s funny, do you?”
“No Daddy,” she choked, her hand
still over her mouth. “I don’t think it’s funny.”
“Good,” he replied with a satisfied nod.
“I think it’s hee - sterical ,” she added with a chorus of giggles.
Mary laughed. “That was brilliant, Clarissa,” she said.
The inner office door opened and the laughter stopped
immediately. All eyes went to the
professional looking woman standing in the doorway. Her brown hair was pulled back in an
efficient French twist, her business suit was navy blue and her tailored blouse
was a crisp blue pinstripe. She looked
down at the clipboard in her hand for a moment and then looked up again at the
three of them. “The Alden family?” she asked.
“Yes, that’s us,” Bradley said.
She nodded and added a wisp of a smile. “Please, come in,
all of you,” she said, motioning into her office.
All three Aldens stood at the same
time, like a choreographed marching band, and walked into her office, pausing
in front of the long couch against the wall.
“Please sit,” Dr. Springler commanded politely and all three Aldens sat, Bradley and Mary on either side of
Clarissa.
Dr. Springler sat across from them on a leather office
chair, her pen poised on the yellow pad on the clipboard and nodded. “Now, why
don’t you tell me why you’re here today and what you’d like to get out of our
meetings together?”
Clarissa’s eyes widened and Mary could see the panic in
them. “Why don’t I start,” Mary suggested, “since I was the one who set up the
appointment.”
Dr. Springler nodded for Mary to continue.
“We are an unusual family,” Mary said. “Clarissa is
Bradley’s natural daughter, but she was lost to him for eight years and they finally
found each other. Clarissa has been
through all kinds of challenging situations in her young life - the loss of
both her adoptive parents, a threat on her life and now, helping us figure out
how to become a family. Bradley and I
were recently married and we are figuring out how to be a couple, but also how
to be parents. We both love Clarissa,
but we understand that she has gone through a lot and needs time to learn how
to trust us.”
Dr. Springler looked at Clarissa. “What do you think about
what your mother just said?” she asked. “Do you consider her your mother?”
Clarissa looked at Mary before responding to the doctor.
Mary smiled at her. “Tell her what you really feel,” she encouraged. “You’re
not going to hurt my feelings. I want
you to be able to tell the truth.”
Dr. Springler turned from Clarissa to Mary. “Actually, she might hurt your feelings,” she
said. “She should still tell the truth, but Clarissa needs to understand that
you have feelings too. Feelings that can get hurt when someone is thoughtless.”
Clarissa nodded and took a deep breath. “I had a first mom,
I never knew her because she died when I was born, but Maggie told me about
her. And then I had another mom, she adopted me, and she died too.”
“Do you think all of your moms are going to die?” the doctor
asked.
At first Clarissa just looked at the doctor, then a single
tear slipped down her cheek and she finally nodded quickly. “Yes,” she
whispered. “I think moms die.”
“How about dads,” Dr. Springler asked. “Do dads die?”
Clarissa shook her head. “No, not like moms,” she said.
“Daddy Bradley has been looking for me since I was a baby. He never stopped and he didn’t die. My moms
get sick and die, bad guys don’t get them.”
“Ah, well that does make a difference, doesn’t it,” Dr.
Springler said. “Are you worried about Mary getting sick?”
Clarissa glanced at Mary and then back at the doctor. “I
heard her throwing up, in the morning,” she said, her voice quivering. “My
adopted mom threw up every day.
Similar Books
