Dawn of Eve, MJ Howson [lightweight ebook reader TXT] 📗

and made a mental note to record this after the session ended. As he did, he couldn’t help but get frustrated that this was yet another half-truth coming from Dawn.

“There were other men,” Dawn said. Her crystal blue eyes seemed to dim as she got lost in her thoughts. “After my fourth miscarriage. Many others. But none of them got me pregnant.”

“Were you trying to get pregnant with these other men?”

“No.” Dawn lowered her head and sighed. “Well, maybe. I think deep down, I knew my biological clock was ticking.”

“Dawn, you didn’t answer my question about Jacob and the fertility drugs. Did he know you were taking them?”

Dawn’s eyes filled with tears. Her lips quivered, and she whispered, “No.”

Dr. Cole waited for Dawn to finish fidgeting in her chair. He said, “Dawn, if Jacob doesn’t want kids, why are you still with him?”

“What?” Dawn sat upright, her body filled with tension.

“That last miscarriage was devastating for you. If motherhood is your goal, shouldn’t you be with someone who wants to be a father as much as you want to be a mother?”

Dawn looked around the office nervously, as if she were searching for an answer. After letting out a heavy sigh, she said, “Jacob would make a wonderful father. He . . . he just doesn’t know it yet.”

Dr. Cole glanced at the whirring recorder at the edge of his desk, doing his best to temper his frustration. He reminded himself that some patients took much longer than others to open up and be honest with him. But after nine sessions, he felt Dawn continued to surprise him with her revelations.

“Trust me,” Dawn said. “He treats me like gold. Most men pursue me for my wealth. They use me. Not Jacob. He works those jobs so he can shower me with gifts. He’s a good man.”

“I never said he wasn’t.” Dr. Cole smiled and looked over at the wall clock–11:47 a.m. “We’re just about out of time. Tell me, how are you sleeping these days?”

“Great.”

“You seem well-rested. And it’s nice to see you smiling. I know we’ve touched on some tough subjects today, but you came in here like you owned the world.”

Dawn nodded. “It’s Eve. Having her around makes me realize I’m meant to be a mother. I can feel it.” Dawn paused and smiled. “And no cat box to clean out.”

Dr. Cole laughed a deep belly laugh. He said, “A definite plus.”

“She sleeps next to me at night. I sometimes read with her before falling asleep.”

“Are you reading her children’s stories?”

“No. Hmm, I . . . I should get her some storybooks, shouldn’t I?” Dawn paused and played with her ring. “Usually, I just read the arts section of the Times.”

“I’m sure she finds it riveting.”

Dawn chuckled and said, “She’s made such a difference. She really has.” Dawn glanced at her watch and stood up. “I’m thinking of getting a stroller.”

“Really? For, what?”

“Well, to take her around in. I see all the other mothers doing it. And I see them sometimes struggle with stairs and curbs. I think it would be good practice for me.”

“I see.” Dr. Cole nodded, although he didn’t completely agree with her. “And, no more dreams about your child? The nightmares?”

“Gone.”

“That’s good.” Dr. Cole stood up and turned off the tape recorder. “Flo can confirm your next appointment. And Dawn, I do prefer we do these weekly, or at a minimum, every two weeks. It’s been three weeks since you were last here.”

“I’m just so happy with Eve.”

“I can see that. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”

“Thanks.” Dawn smiled and walked to the door, stopping to glance at the ticking clock. She turned and asked, “Maybe I could bring her in some time?”

“Who?”

“Eve.”

“Oh, uh, well, if you’d like to.”

“And maybe Jacob?” Dawn smiled and added, “It would be like a group family session.”

Dr. Cole found himself taken aback by her use of the word family. He said, “You’ve mentioned bringing him in before. Have you talked to Jacob about it?”

Dawn reached for the pendant around her neck and nervously tapped the jewel. She sighed and said, “He’s been a bit . . . evasive.”

“Why don’t you discuss it with him again and see what he thinks?”

“Okay. I guess.” Dawn nodded and opened the door. “Bye.”

Dr. Cole watched Dawn leave without stopping to book a follow-up appointment with Flo. He sat back down and began to summarize his conclusions from the session and outline what he would want to focus on next week. As happy as he was to see Dawn a bit more upbeat, her focus on that doll was bothersome, not to mention her continued contradictions of past disclosures. He knew they still had much work to do together. Deep down, he wondered how many more sessions it would take to get to the truth.

After spending several minutes documenting his key findings and next steps, Dr. Cole leaned back in his chair and sighed. A chill ran through him as he reflected on Dawn’s behavior. He leaned forward and made one final entry at the end of the page–schiz aff dis?

Nineteen

In Home Services

Sweat dripped from Jacob’s shirtless body as he stared at the heavy-duty maroon duffel bag beside his feet. He knelt down, retrieved a dry black tank top, and pulled it over his shoulders. The fresh pair of matching track pants he wore were already becoming wet with perspiration. Jacob winced as he slowly stood back up. The session that just ended had caused him to pull a muscle in his lower back. He’d never suffered an injury like that before. He glanced over at the ornate full-length mirror in the hallway and wondered how many more years he’d be able to maintain this level of fitness.

Jacob’s smartwatch buzzed. He frowned, seeing that his next appointment just canceled on him. The time was just after three o’clock, October 6th. His current client, Carol, was busy in her bathroom cleaning up. He walked over to the nearby window