"Yeah, Dad says Spencer started having the same nightmares after he visited Mom's grave."
"Yet you had never visited before."
"Correct."
"How old was Spencer when he stopped visiting?"
"Dad didn't say anything other than a teenager."
"You're 24."
"Yes."
"Tell me more about what happened."
"I just… I lost it. I couldn't look at Sam. I didn't realize she knew so much about my dreams. She just looked… She looked like she felt inadequate. Like she hated herself for not being able to help me."
"It's often difficult to deal with an inability to help those we love. Especially when they won't let us."
"I feel like she shouldn't love me, like I don't deserve it. If I can't keep it together about my own existence, how can I love her the way she deserves? How can she love me back? I feel like I have no self-worth anymore!"
"Carly, please… sit back down."
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize I'd stood."
"And started pacing. Think about this… Why does the discovery of your mother's bisexuality make any difference to who you've grown into?"
"Because my father never intended to keep me! Things were rocky enough when Spencer and I were kids. He was never around! If my mother is gone, and my father didn't want me, who was I supposed to look up to? Who was I supposed to emulate… who was I supposed to grow into?"
"Carly, what makes you think you aren't the person you're supposed to be?"
"I have dreams that make me doubt my existence, Dr. Burns… I… I need to go."
Author's notes: Sorry about the short update. I mostly wanted to get this rant out of the way so I could pick up with chapter 11. I figured no one would care, since no one's reviewed since chapter 7. ;)