Emi stood, walking over with a casual grace. "It’s nice to finally et you." She gestured toward the couch across from her. "Make yourself comfortable. Want so tea? Water? Or just a second to breathe?"
Emi noticed her nervousness, so she tried to help her feel more comfortable first.
Charlotte hesitated, then lowered herself onto the couch. Her hands found each other in her lap. "I think I’m good," she mumbled.
"Don’t be like that." Emi laughed softly, her voice as soothing as the room itself. "Co on, let’s start with so chamomile tea. It might help you relax."
"Okay, chamomile tea is fine," said Charlotte.
Despite knowing she was here for therapy, the space felt nothing like a sterile office. The place felt warm and comfortable, like visiting an old friend rather than sitting across from a professional.
The gentle hum of classical music floated through the air, blending with the subtle scent of tea and fresh greenery. Little by little, the tension in her shoulders loosened, and she finally let herself lean back in the couch.
"You know," Emi began, stirring the tea with a smile on her face, "I was genuinely surprised when Damon told he had a mate. I always thought he’d be a lone wolf forever."
Charlotte let out a nervous chuckle, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Has he really never been in a relationship before?"
Emi’s lips curled into a knowing smile. "Well ... let’s just say Damon is easy on the eyes, and plenty of won like to see his face. But if you don’t know him well, you’d probably assu he’s cold and indifferent."
"But he’s actually so warm." Charlotte smiled, almost instinctively, at the thought of him. "I’m lucky to have him as my mate."
The nervousness that had been gnawing at her slowly faded, replaced by a quiet comfort every ti she heard or even said Damon’s na.
"He really is a good man," Emi agreed, placing a cup in front of her. Then, she leaned forward slightly, her gaze soft but focused. "But Charlotte, we’re not here to talk about Damon further. I want to know more about you."
Charlotte’s fingers curled around the warm teacup. "?" She let out a small, breathy laugh. "There’s not much to say, really."
Emi arched her brow. "I highly doubt that." She rested her chin on her palm. "Tell , Charlotte, how have you been feeling lately? And I an really feeling."
Charlotte hesitated. She could lie, say she was fine, that everything was perfectly normal. But the weight in her chest told a different story.
"I don’t know," she admitted, tracing the rim of her cup with her fingertip. "So days, I feel okay. Other days ... it’s like I’m walking through fog. I can’t see where I’m going, and even if I try to move forward, I don’t know if I’m actually getting anywhere."
"Emi nodded, as if she completely understood. "That sounds exhausting."
Charlotte let out a dry chuckle. "Yeah. It is." She sighed, gripping the cup a little tighter. "But I guess that’s just how it is, right?"
"Not necessarily," Emi said gently. "You don’t have to go through this alone, Charlotte. Whatever you’re carrying, we can work through it together."
Her voice was so soft when she spoke those words, and it had a soothing effect that made Charlotte feel a bit more at ease. But at the sa ti, it tightened sothing deep in her chest.
For so long, she had been pretending everything was fine, putting up walls to shield her vulnerability from others. Sotis, she even lied to Damon, not wanting him to worry about her.
Emi’s voice pulled her back from those thoughts. "Let’s think of this room as a safe space, a secret shell," she said. "Whatever you say here, stays here. You can speak freely, without fear of it getting out. It’s just between us, and this room."
Charlotte hesitated, her fingers lightly tapping the edge of her teacup. "You won’t even tell Damon?"
Emi’s smile was warm and reassuring as she shook her head. "No, Charlotte," she said gently, her tone calm. "Whatever you choose to share here stays between us. It will remain a secret, just as you wish. Does that make you feel a little more at ease?"
Charlotte took a deep breath, feeling the weight in her chest lighten just a little. She nodded slowly, the knot of tension in her shoulders beginning to ease.
"Yeah," she murmured, her voice softer than before. "I think that helps."
Emi nodded, her expression encouraging, before she leaned back in her chair. "Good. You’re safe here, Charlotte. Whatever you want to say, whatever you need to work through, we’ll take it one step at a ti."
"I know that the first ti going to a therapist can be a scary experience. There are so many things you want to say in your head, but sotis, it’s hard to organize them into sentences that are easy to understand," Emi said softly. "Do you feel that way too, Charlotte?"
Charlotte gave a small nod, her gaze drifting down to her hands in her lap. "Yeah. The words ... I don’t even know where to begin."
The night before, Charlotte had written down everything she wanted to tell Emi. She’d filled a piece of paper with her thoughts, but as she read over them, they seed jumbled, just fragnts of her feelings that didn’t quite make sense, and certainly didn’t explain the heaviness in her heart.
She even started to wonder if she could truly understand her own emotions. If she didn’t know what was going on inside her, how could she expect anyone else to?
Wasn’t it pointless to go to a therapist if she couldn’t even talk about what happened to her?
Emi’s voice broke through her thoughts. "It’s alright, Charlotte. We don’t need to rush. We can take it one step at a ti." She paused, then offered gently, "How about we start with sothing simple, your childhood? Would you like to talk about that?"
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