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Norma straightened her posture and felt her heart beat slow down after her reveal, she could tell Alex was shocked, she didn't need to look at him to know.
"I see. What was that like?" Sage asked, giving her full attention.
"Well...with Sam and I's relationship the way it was, we certainly weren't planning on having another child, it just kind of happened. I found out when I was two months along and when I told Sam, he couldn't have cared less. He told me that if I was planning on keeping the baby I would have to move out of the house. A few weeks after, I miscarried...I always figured it was the stress he put on me" she explained, feeling tears in her eyes again, she wouldn't let them fall.
"You are probably right, pregnant woman should avoid stress at all costs...especially from their families. Though your relationship with Sam was a mess, how did you feel when you found out you were pregnant?" she asked, trying to uncover her full story.
"To be completely honest, I was almost happy. I had nothing going on at that time and whenever I though of having a baby, it seemed like everything was going to be okay...I love being a mother. Loosing the baby was certainly heartbreaking" she admitted, trying to keep her cool.
"How did Sam react?" she asked, placing her glasses on top of her head.
"He didn't really. He brought me to the hospital the night I lost the baby. I got the news, cried and cried. Sam just drove me home like nothing happened, the baby never even really existed to him" she sighed.
"That's awful. I'm sorry to hear that you had to go through it. You know it's not your fault you lost the baby right?" she asked.
"I always felt like I was to blame...because I was supposed to take care of that baby and make it feel safe" she whimpered, wiping her eyes.
"It's no where near your fault, Norma. It's never the mother's fault. Your abusive husband gave you an impossible ultimatum...it's natural that your thoughts were completely focused on what he told you. In a way you were protecting your baby, you were thinking about where you were going to go once it was born right?" she questioned.
"I suppose" she concluded confused.
"Well there you go, you had your unborn child in mind the whole time" she smiled.
She nodded, watching her intently.
"One last question?" Sage asked looking at her wall clock.
"Anything" Norma replied, feeling strong.
"If John was so good to you, why did you leave him for Sam?" she asked.
"Well, John was a great partner and father to Dylan. But when I met Sam...he was everything John wasn't. Sam was charming, sweet, and gave me his full attention. Leaving John was one of the stupidest things I ever did, it wrecked my relationship with Dylan as well. Luckily he has such a big heart, we patched things up a few months ago, we've been pretty close ever since then" she smiled, loving the fact that she reconnected with Dylan.
"That's wonderful! That's a huge step in the right direction, Norma" Sage said cheerfully, an adoring smile on her face.
"Thank you" she cooed, a tiny smile on her face.
"Unfortunately, that's all the time we have. Next session, I think we should talk about what happened to you recently. Your attack. Would that be okay?" she asked cautiously.
"I think it would be for the best" she agreed, rising up off the sofa, Alex joining her.
Norma made her way towards Sage, outstretching a hand.
"I really can't thank you enough" she praised, giving her the kindest smile she could manage.
"It's my job to help you Norma. We are going to make some wonderful progress. I am so impressed that you were able to open up" Sage grinned, shaking Alex's hand also.
"Nice meeting you, Alex" she smiled, making her way back to her seat.
Alex and Norma left the office, walking out into the hallway, and shutting the door behind them.
"Norma, I'm so proud of you" he said in awe, dropping a hand on her back.
She smiled at him and shrugged.
"It was nice to talk to someone who can relate" she commented, leaning closer to him as they walked.
"I never knew you had a miscarriage, I'm so sorry honey" he sighed, stopping her once they got outside.
She pulled him to her, clutching him like a lifeline.
"I love you so much" she crooned as he swayed her back and fourth.
"I love you too" he smiled, kissing her lips softly.
They got in the car and pulled out of the lot.
"Do you want to go get lunch?" he offered, keeping his eyes on the road.
"I'd love to" she smiled.
They went to a small bistro and sat comfortably outside.
"Did you ever think we'd be here a two years ago?" she asked, sipping water from her glass.
"Honestly? No. That night we arrested you...us getting together was the furthest thing from my mind" he chuckled, straightening the napkin in his lap.
"Hell, I can't argue. I thought you hated my guts" she smiled.
"Never. I never hated you. You annoyed me. But you were so...cute" he admitted, his cheeks glowing.
"I was?" she smiled, crinkling her nose sweetly.
"Yeah. And of course I thought you were gorgeous" he revealed, taking her hand across the table.
"Well, I thought you were pretty handsome" she giggled flirtatiously.
"What can I say? I just roll out of bed like this" he smiled, brushing a hand through his hair.
"Shut up" she chuckled, swatting the top of his hand.
"You know, I thought you were completely into Zack when we first met..." he admitted, chewing his sandwich.
"Zack was a bit more of a temptation...he was so much younger that me. I guess it just felt good to get attention from such a young guy. He's nothing like you though" she smirked.
"And then there was George...I'm so happy I got you away from that asshole" he muttered, still vengeful towards him.
"I can't thank you enough for that" she smiled.
"It's my job to protect people who are in distress" he commented, eyeing her carefully.
"Is that always want you wanted to do? Be a police officer?" she asked curiously, resting her chin in her hand.
"Always. My grandfather was a police officer and he would always take me for rides in his cruiser when I was around 6 or 7...watching him do his job inspired me to follow in his path" he reflected smiling.
"That's sweet. I take it you two were close?" she asked, poking at her salad.
"Incredibly, he was more of a friend to me. He saw my father was a total fuck up and he and my grandmother won full custody of me" he replied, clearing his throat.
"I didn't know that. What was wrong with your father?" she asked carefully, not wanting to hurt him.
Alex sighed, taking a deep breath before his explanation.
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to" she muttered, holding onto his hand.
"No, you opened up so much today, it's only fair I tell you about me. My father was a big drunk...one night he met a woman at a bar, they got really drunk and slept together. I was the unexpected product of their one night stand. They stayed together throughout her pregnancy and once she gave birth to me, she left my father. They never spoke again. My dad told me she was a good person, but she had a lot of different problems going on. I lived with him up until the time I was 4 years old. I can't say he raised me...lots of times he would just leave me home alone or drop me with a neighbor. One day, he left me with my grandparents and didn't come back for four days, no phone calls or anything. When he did come back for me, he reeked of liquor and appeared to be on some kind of narcotic. My grandfather kicked him out of the house and took him to court two weeks later, when he won custody of me, I never saw him again" he explained, avoiding eye contact with Norma.
"I would have never guessed it was like that..." she began sadly, getting up to sit closer to him.
She took his head in her hands, dropping a kiss on his cheek.
"I'm sorry, Alex" she cooed sincerely.
"I'm just really thankful my grandparents were there for me...I'm not sure where I'd be right now if they weren't there for me" he replied, stroking the back of her hand.
"Are they still alive?" she questioned, raising her eyebrows.
"Unfortunately, my grandmother passed when I was in college and my grandfather died shortly after I moved here" he sighed sadly.
"Sorry to hear that. I'm sure they were amazing people" she smiled, running her hand through the hair at the back of his head.
"They were" he grinned, pulling her towards him for a kiss.
"What about your mother, though?" she asked.
"Oh...I looked for when I was a teenager. When I tracked her down, she was living in a crack house...didn't even know who I was, not even when I introduced myself" he said, his eyes watering slightly.
Norma hugged him then, not as a girlfriend, but as a sign of comfort, assuring him that she was there.
"It's okay" she muttered, kissing his head.
He pulled away and looked into her eyes, brushing the hair out of her face.
"I'm so happy I can talk to you" he grinned, his hand resting on her lower back.
"Me too"
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