Sue was sitting across from me in the therapy room. She had folded her hands neatly on her lap, and she looked at me with bright, clear eyes. However, she had not spoken a word after the pleasantries. I knew I needed to not push her, but wait patiently for her to talk. So I sat there, and sipped on my morning black coffee.

"I didn't know you could eat?" she finally said.

"Perks of being a hybrid, I guess," I answered.

"Do you know who your father is?"

I smiled. "I believe we are here to talk about you," I said.

Sue sighed. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Is to supposed to be this unbearable?" she whispered.

"What is it doing to you?"

"I can't cook for my children anymore. Leah has stepped up and helped with that. I don't even know how to talk to my kids. Leah and I fight, Seth just watches without taking sides. I have to go to work to keep up with the income, but they need me too. I don't know what to do," she said.

I leaned in. "Sue what you are describing is this feeling of being overwhelmed without having Harry, and that feeling is real, but it is not what you need to talk about. The life of being a single parent is not unbearable as you put it, as much as the reason why your in that way. Does that make sense?"

"You think I am trying to do all the work so I don't feel anything about Harry?"

I nodded.

She sighed. "I suppose you are right. The first few days after Harry died, I just laid in bed. But then I realized that Leah was doing all the cooking and Seth was mowing the lawn. So I got up, went back to work, started making their food, and cleaning house, then all of a sudden I felt better. Like I went from being in extreme pain to being happy overnight because I was taking care of everyone."

"Its good to get active, but I don't want you feeling numb. You need to remember what it was like to feel happy, sad, angry, all of the emotions."

"What if they become overwhelming?"

"What do you do when feelings overwhelm you?

"Cry in the bed, mainly. Sometimes I am so tired that I can't move."

"Okay. There are two types of dispositions that you can be having. I need you to help me figure out which so I can best help you."

"Okay."

"You are clearly mourning Harry. Do you feel guilty about mourning him?"

She sighed. "Do I feel guilty?... No not really."

"Okay. Do you feel worthless?"

She shook her head.

"Is it difficult to do daily activities, like cook or put on your clothes?"

"No."

"Can you see or hear something that others can't?"

She laughed. "No I am not hallucinating."

"Do you want to join Harry?"

"What do you mean? Do I want to die?"

I nodded.

"No! Who would take care of Seth and Leah? I mean I wish that Harry would be here with us, but no I am not going to hurt myself to go see him."

"Do you blame someone for Harry's death?"

"The bloodsucker that killed him!"

My eyes and smiled. That was the first passionate thing she said the whole session.

"Okay, so you are angry. Do you want to hurt the vampire?"

"Yes, but I can't and I do not want anyone near her, but no one is going to listen to me."

"Does that frustrate you?"

"That Sam won't listen to me? Yes it frustrates me, but I can get Billy to listen to me."

"Do you feel like Seth and Leia listen to you?"

She sighed. "Seth, yes he is very obedient. But Leah is eighteen. She was ready to move out after high school, and it is very possible that she will move out soon. We but heads a lot."

"That is what happens with children."

"Yes, but it is so soon after Harry died. I want her to stay more, so its not just me in that old house all of the time."

"Have you told her that?"

"No. I know that is stupid. She deserves a life of her own. I know that it is hard for her to be here. If Sam lets her off the land one day, I think she should go have an adventure she always wanted."

"Maybe you can tell her that you want her to be free, but you are worried that you will be lonely. She will understand that, and maybe come up with an arrangement."

"Like what?"

"Come visit for two weeks every three months. Also, there is a new thing called Skype that can help where you can see each other face to face and talk on the computer."

"How much is it?"

"It's free. There are some bugs, but if Leah stays home a year then leaves, the technology will improve. My mom and I Skype all the time."

"Family dinner on Thursday Night," Sue mused. "Leah might do that."

"Exactly."

Sue nodded. "We can do that once June rolls around. I know Leah wants to go. Maybe if we got Sam to release her from the pack for a week, she can go have an adventure."

"Baby steps." I looked at the time, and saw that our hour was up. "Lets stop here. Tr4y one of the ideas, and tell me how it works next week."

"Okay," she said. "I was scarred this week and last week that it would be bad to talk to a vampire, but I feel so at peace talking to you."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "That is what I want to hear."