On the way to the spa, Daphne stared out the window, not saying a word to Niles. She knew he was worried, and would be glad to help her in any way he could. But after what had just happened, which was possibly the most mortifying moment of her life, she knew that his love couldn't be enough.

Three Cranes to lift her, Mr. Crane had said.

They had all laughed. Even Niles had a smile on his face, and he couldn't see how deeply hurt she'd been at that very moment.

Three cranes.

How did her life get to this point?

On the outside, she knew she had every reason to be happy. Niles loved her, his family loved her like she was one of them, she had caring and fun friends.

Yet she'd never been more miserable in her life.

0000

After they had said their goodbyes, Daphne looked around at the spa, wondering if she'd made some mistake. It felt strange for her to even entertain the thought of being away from the Cranes for even overnight, let alone weeks-or however long this journey might be.

"You must be Daphne. I'm Gloria, I will be your therapist. It is so nice to meet you," Gloria smiled and shook Daphne's hand.

"I think...I think I'm in the wrong place. I thought I was doing the right thing..."

"It's okay, Daphne. You're taking a very big step in treating a very big problem. Usually one's weight is not a true reflection of what is going on the outside- usually it is a reflection of what's going on inside of us."

Daphne looked at her, puzzled. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't understand..."

Gloria put her hand on Daphne's arm. "I know this can seem overwhelming, especially in the beginning. I will show you to your room, and if you feel comfortable, you can come to my office and we can begin to get to know each other."

The way that Gloria spoke to her moved Daphne to tears. There were no judgments, no expectations, no broken promises- just someone being nice to her. And as they walked to Daphne's room, for the first time in months, Daphne's thoughts were not of Niles or the Cranes or how she could help everyone around her; instead she found herself looking for ways for others to help her.

tbc