Christmas Therapy

“Why don’t we finish this before my Mom comes back to check on us.” She gave a slight smile.

Allen didn’t respond. He didn’t know how.

***

Heather wanted to disappear. How did a simple conversation turn into her flirting? Didn’t she learn her lesson from their last conversation? Keeping her walls up worked.

She needed to keep her emotions under control. This was a trap. She was her own worst enemy and if she didn’t handle these feelings, she would end up hurting herself.

Allen wasn’t a bad guy. She could see how nice he was. He cared about his patients. His compassionate heart showed, but was it all a facade?

“Want me to put these on the tree?” Allen asked.

Heather nodded. “Sure thanks.”

She wouldn’t make a fool of herself and she wouldn’t look at him. Not now. She sniffled once again, hoping deep down her cold wasn’t returning. Adjusting in her seat, her braced knee wasn’t as comfortable as she wanted, but she could handle it a little longer.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” Her mother asked.

Heather didn’t make eye contact since her mother could read her like a book. “Yes, we’re making progress.”

Her mother didn’t respond, and Heather only followed her mother’s stare to see Allen wrapping the popcorn garland around the tree.

“He’s such a nice young man.” Her mother patted Heather’s shoulder.

“I guess.”

“You guess?” her mother asked. “You don’t think I don’t see what’s going on?”

“Mom—”

“I know relationships are not your thing, but I know chemistry when I see it,” her mother said.

Heather pulled her lips in. She didn’t want chemistry. It meant too much power. Whoever influenced emotions, only made things worse. They would hurt—particularly her.

“I’ll think about it,” she said.

Her mother smiled. “I hope you do. I would hate for you to miss out.”

Heather placed another stringed garland of popcorn on the table. Avoiding eye contact with her mother, she didn’t answer.

***

Heather breathed during her clamshells, grateful she and Allen were at the facility instead of her home for therapy. It gave her a chance to see where he worked, but he seemed tougher on her compared to her home workouts. This had to be the payback for the times she had her students try intense exercises. Some would groan and complain, but she always encouraged them to push themselves. Now all she wanted was to give Allen the stink eye.

“Can you do five more?” he asked.

Heather pressed her hand into the mat underneath her. “I’ll try.”

“Don’t worry. You got it.”

She groaned. “Got what?”

He chuckled much to her dismay.

“You’re enjoying my suffering?”

“Not one bit,” he replied.