"Dr. Russell?" Theresa said walking into the sun room.
Eve turned around to face Theresa. "Theresa, good morning. You're up awfully early. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. I guess...I think so."
"Theresa, have a seat while I pour us a cup of coffee." Eve walked over and starting arranging plates and cups on a tray. "I sense there's something on your mind."
"As a matter of fact there is." Theresa said taking a seat on the sofa.
Eve carried the tray full of coffee and danishs over to the coffee table and sat them down. "Would you like to talk to me about it?" Eve asked.
"It's really nothing. Actually I'm embarrassed to even talk about it. It's just that Ethan's concerned."
"You and Ethan aren't having problems are you?"
"No." She shook her head. "I mean not in the sense that you're implying."
"So you are having problems?"
"Well, my not being able to sleep would affect him I guess."
"You're having difficulty sleeping?" Eve asked. Seemed to happening to a lot of people in Harmony lately.
"It's not so much a difficulty sleeping. I have no problems going to sleep. The problems start once I'm asleep."
"I'm not sure I'm following you, Theresa." Eve picked up one of the saucers and started sipping on her coffee.
"I've been having these dreams." She hesitated for a moment. "More like nightmares. Each time the dream goes a little bit longer, I see a little bit more. When I wake up I'm shivering cold and I'm drenched in sweat." Remnants of the anxiety that had plagued her lately started to creep up on her again. She stood up and walked over to the veranda door and opened it, letting the cool breeze sweep across her.
"What happens in the dreams, Theresa?" Eve asked curious.
Theresa took a deep calmy breath before she began. "I'm in this very room. It's late. There's a full moon outside. I look over and this door is open. At first it doesn't bother me and then I begin to think that maybe someone is in the house. My only thoughts are of Little Ethan. I run to his room to make sure he is okay. I find him sleeping peacefully. Then out of the corner of my eye I see someone walk passed the door. I get up and I follow them around to the main corridor." Tears threatened to fall and her voice began to shake. She paused trying to keep herself under control.
"Who do you see, Theresa?"
"Gwen." Her voice trembled. It was barely audible.
Eve stood up and walked over standing next to her. "I see. Why do you think you're dreaming about Gwen?"
Theresa looked at her perplexed. "I don't know. I'm assuming it's the way she died." She rubbed her arms trying to warm herself. "Or maybe it's just the fact that she blamed me for everything in life, now she's blaming me for her death."
"Her death was ruled a suicide, Theresa. She can hardly blame you for that."
"Gwen never took responsibility for her actions, Dr. Russell, we all know that now. Who's to say she doesn't blame me for her death and this is her way of punishing me."
"I don't know, Theresa. Look, I could give you a name of a good psychologist here in town. Maybe you need to visit with him. Maybe you do have some guilt issues to work through."
"I have nothing to feel guilty about." Theresa said almost angrily.
"Calm down, Theresa. We both know that, but sometimes our minds don't feel the same way. You are obviously on a subconscious level feeling some sort of guilt for Gwen's death or you wouldn't be having these nightmares."
"I guess you're right." Theresa turned back to look outside. The morning sun was finally burning off the fog that had shrouded the mansion.
"I'll find that number for you and get it to you sometime today. Would you like for me to write you a prescription for something to help you rest?"
"No!" Theresa paused. "No, that's okay. I think talking about it has helped a lot. Thank you Dr. Russell."
"Anytime, Theresa, I'm always here." She looked down at her watch. "I'm sorry, Theresa, but I must be leaving. Julian and I have a committee meeting at the hospital we must attend."
Theresa stood there alone for a moment watching the morning sun melt away the remainder of the fog. "There you are. I've been looking for you. You got up early this morning." Ethan walked over and stood next to her. "I saw Eve on the way out. Did you talk to her this morning?"
"Yes, I did."
"What did she say?" He asked.
"She told me that I was possibily harboring some guilt because of Gwen's death."
"But we know who Gwen died, Theresa. How could you possibly be feeling any guilt toward her death?" Ethan asked her curiously.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore, Ethan. Please, just leave me alone." Theresa turned and ran away.
-----------------------------
Fox sat alone at the book cafe the next morning. He ordered a coffee and sat down to read the morning paper. He rubbed his temples. Those damn pills did this everytime, but fortunately for him the caffeine in the coffee usually seemed to help.
"Fox, are you alright?" He didn't look up from his paper. He knew who it was without looking.
"Yes, Whitney, I'm fine."
"Care for company?" She said.
"No, have a seat." He folded the paper back up and pushed it to the side. "So, what have you been up to?"
"Not a lot lately. Been practicing back up on my tennis."
"Is it coming back to you like I told you it would?"
"I have to admit, I'm a little out of shape." She cleared her throat. "You know, I've been thinking, you like tennis and have been in a few tournaments at the country club. How about you and I practice some together. You could help me get back in shape."
"I thought you were going to get your dad to be your coach again."
"Dad's just to hard on me. I know his intentions are well, but he just stays on my back all the time."
"Yeah, I guess I could see where that would get old real quick, but given the fact that my father has never paid attention to me, I wouldn't know." Fox said in his usual sarcastic voice.
"Sorry, Fox, but your father is the last person I want to think about right now."
Fox threw up his hands, "My bad. I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject. I take it you still aren't conversing with your mother?"
"No, and trust me, I won't be talking to the whore anytime soon."
Hey, Lyida. Yes, it's me. I changed my name because I was ashamed at how long it had taken me to update my two other stories. Just totally lost interest in them. Sorry! Anyways, good to hear from you. Hope you like!
Eve turned around to face Theresa. "Theresa, good morning. You're up awfully early. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. I guess...I think so."
"Theresa, have a seat while I pour us a cup of coffee." Eve walked over and starting arranging plates and cups on a tray. "I sense there's something on your mind."
"As a matter of fact there is." Theresa said taking a seat on the sofa.
Eve carried the tray full of coffee and danishs over to the coffee table and sat them down. "Would you like to talk to me about it?" Eve asked.
"It's really nothing. Actually I'm embarrassed to even talk about it. It's just that Ethan's concerned."
"You and Ethan aren't having problems are you?"
"No." She shook her head. "I mean not in the sense that you're implying."
"So you are having problems?"
"Well, my not being able to sleep would affect him I guess."
"You're having difficulty sleeping?" Eve asked. Seemed to happening to a lot of people in Harmony lately.
"It's not so much a difficulty sleeping. I have no problems going to sleep. The problems start once I'm asleep."
"I'm not sure I'm following you, Theresa." Eve picked up one of the saucers and started sipping on her coffee.
"I've been having these dreams." She hesitated for a moment. "More like nightmares. Each time the dream goes a little bit longer, I see a little bit more. When I wake up I'm shivering cold and I'm drenched in sweat." Remnants of the anxiety that had plagued her lately started to creep up on her again. She stood up and walked over to the veranda door and opened it, letting the cool breeze sweep across her.
"What happens in the dreams, Theresa?" Eve asked curious.
Theresa took a deep calmy breath before she began. "I'm in this very room. It's late. There's a full moon outside. I look over and this door is open. At first it doesn't bother me and then I begin to think that maybe someone is in the house. My only thoughts are of Little Ethan. I run to his room to make sure he is okay. I find him sleeping peacefully. Then out of the corner of my eye I see someone walk passed the door. I get up and I follow them around to the main corridor." Tears threatened to fall and her voice began to shake. She paused trying to keep herself under control.
"Who do you see, Theresa?"
"Gwen." Her voice trembled. It was barely audible.
Eve stood up and walked over standing next to her. "I see. Why do you think you're dreaming about Gwen?"
Theresa looked at her perplexed. "I don't know. I'm assuming it's the way she died." She rubbed her arms trying to warm herself. "Or maybe it's just the fact that she blamed me for everything in life, now she's blaming me for her death."
"Her death was ruled a suicide, Theresa. She can hardly blame you for that."
"Gwen never took responsibility for her actions, Dr. Russell, we all know that now. Who's to say she doesn't blame me for her death and this is her way of punishing me."
"I don't know, Theresa. Look, I could give you a name of a good psychologist here in town. Maybe you need to visit with him. Maybe you do have some guilt issues to work through."
"I have nothing to feel guilty about." Theresa said almost angrily.
"Calm down, Theresa. We both know that, but sometimes our minds don't feel the same way. You are obviously on a subconscious level feeling some sort of guilt for Gwen's death or you wouldn't be having these nightmares."
"I guess you're right." Theresa turned back to look outside. The morning sun was finally burning off the fog that had shrouded the mansion.
"I'll find that number for you and get it to you sometime today. Would you like for me to write you a prescription for something to help you rest?"
"No!" Theresa paused. "No, that's okay. I think talking about it has helped a lot. Thank you Dr. Russell."
"Anytime, Theresa, I'm always here." She looked down at her watch. "I'm sorry, Theresa, but I must be leaving. Julian and I have a committee meeting at the hospital we must attend."
Theresa stood there alone for a moment watching the morning sun melt away the remainder of the fog. "There you are. I've been looking for you. You got up early this morning." Ethan walked over and stood next to her. "I saw Eve on the way out. Did you talk to her this morning?"
"Yes, I did."
"What did she say?" He asked.
"She told me that I was possibily harboring some guilt because of Gwen's death."
"But we know who Gwen died, Theresa. How could you possibly be feeling any guilt toward her death?" Ethan asked her curiously.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore, Ethan. Please, just leave me alone." Theresa turned and ran away.
-----------------------------
Fox sat alone at the book cafe the next morning. He ordered a coffee and sat down to read the morning paper. He rubbed his temples. Those damn pills did this everytime, but fortunately for him the caffeine in the coffee usually seemed to help.
"Fox, are you alright?" He didn't look up from his paper. He knew who it was without looking.
"Yes, Whitney, I'm fine."
"Care for company?" She said.
"No, have a seat." He folded the paper back up and pushed it to the side. "So, what have you been up to?"
"Not a lot lately. Been practicing back up on my tennis."
"Is it coming back to you like I told you it would?"
"I have to admit, I'm a little out of shape." She cleared her throat. "You know, I've been thinking, you like tennis and have been in a few tournaments at the country club. How about you and I practice some together. You could help me get back in shape."
"I thought you were going to get your dad to be your coach again."
"Dad's just to hard on me. I know his intentions are well, but he just stays on my back all the time."
"Yeah, I guess I could see where that would get old real quick, but given the fact that my father has never paid attention to me, I wouldn't know." Fox said in his usual sarcastic voice.
"Sorry, Fox, but your father is the last person I want to think about right now."
Fox threw up his hands, "My bad. I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject. I take it you still aren't conversing with your mother?"
"No, and trust me, I won't be talking to the whore anytime soon."
Hey, Lyida. Yes, it's me. I changed my name because I was ashamed at how long it had taken me to update my two other stories. Just totally lost interest in them. Sorry! Anyways, good to hear from you. Hope you like!