Chapter Seventeen

Madeline’s POV

(A few days later)

Raindrops dance around me like petals falling into place. It’s already 12 o’clock and yet the air still smells of dew and sweat.

I walk in the storm, the wind licking my curls and rain dampening them. My prussian blue hoodie jacket brushes against the door as I walk in. The front desk greets me and I sit down momentarily before being led into yet another room. My cheeks are flushed red from the weather and my hands feel like a part of my outfit, inanimate.

He greets me with the usual, “Good morning Madeline! How are you today?” And just like that, we’re in another session, cutting the small talk to a minimum. The concerned glint in his eyes shows me he truly cares, but the bill that appears in my mail reminds me that he gets paid for caring.

“I- I’m not sure.” To be completely honest, I really don’t know how I’m doing.

I mean, I know I’m not doing badly.

But I’m not sure if good is the default for everything that isn’t bad.