"I am sure that you think that I am an asshole." Robert said and looked down.

"No, I think that you are going through a tough time and are taking out your anger in the wrong way."

"I have no idea what to say."

"Well, why don't you try telling me the truth about what is really going on."

Robert took a deep breath. " I am feeling a lot of pressure. My job has always been stressful. Everyone expects me to be the strong one, to take care of everything and sometimes it seems like no one understands that I don't have all of the answers."

"No one really thinks that you have all of the answers."

"Maybe they don't but I have always been the one that fixed the problems."

"And now you don't feel in control." Robert nodded slowly. "Do you want to talk about the drinking?"

"Not really but I will. I don't like to drink. I hate the way it tastes and smells. I hate everything about it but how it makes me feel. I really didn't start drinking so much on purpose. It just seemed that the more I drank the easier the problems seemed to get. Maybe it did get out of control. But I never meant for it to. And I never meant to say the things that I did. I could not bear to think that Max is afraid of me. He is the sweetest little kid I have ever met and I just wish that I could do what ever it took to make him feel safe. But I don't know how. I don't have the answers and that pisses me off."

"Have you ever thought that maybe he doesn't want anything but love from you?"

"I know that he may think that but he needs more than that. He needs a role model. And I am no role model. I have been alone all of my life and now I have a family to take care of." He paused and took a drink of the water that sat next to him. "How do I do that? How do I tell a 2 year old that I don't know what to do to make him feel safe?"

"Have you thought that all you have to do is try? No one has all of the answers. We just do what ever we think is right and hope that it works out. What else is going on with you?"

"My mom is sick. She was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and it doesn't look good."

"Why didn't you say anything about it?"

"Everyone has so much going on that I didn't want to bother anyone. Besides there is nothing that anyone can do. I just need to deal with it."

"That seems a little unfair don't you think?"

"No, I think it is the fairest thing I could do right now. There is so much stress that I don't need to add to it."

"So what do you want to do?"

"I want my family back. I want to slow down on the drinking. I want to get married and raise the kids the best that I possibly can. But it just doesn't seem to be possible." Robert looked up again. "So tell me how to fix it."

"You can start being honest. No one is going to fault you for weakness. It takes more strength to admit you need help than to torture yourself."

Robert nodded. "Thanks for seeing me on short notice."

Dr. Fitzpatrick smiled at him. "I was surprised that you called me at all."

Robert stood and shook his hand. He would win Lexie back and get his life straight; he just had no idea how.