III

"How do you feel now, Emma?" Dr. Begler asked her next session

"I feel… odd" she replied trying to find the right word, "finding out he didn't sleep with April makes me feel terrible for what I told him. Still…"

"You were hurt, Emma" she reassured her, "and I know you were handling wrong information, but he made a mistake too, right?"

"Yes" she remained silence for a while before confessing, "Tho, I am glad Will and I talked. He, uhm, he knows the reason my marriage failed. He knows it was because of him, because my feelings for him"

"What are those feelings exactly?"

"I think my feelings were always the same for him…" suddenly Emma started sobbing, "it`s just… I`ve been afraid to admit it. I`ve been afraid of being hurt again"

"Do you honestly think he`d hurt you again? When the truth is he never meant to?"

"I know… that`s what makes me stupid"

"Emma, the fact that you`re single now doesn`t mean you have to run to his arms again. The fact that you`re opening yourself to new experiences is gonna lead you to him. Forcing yourself to be what you think he wants is going to bring nothing but problems"

"That makes sense", Emma said out loud, "that makes a lot of sense. Going to the part on Sanday was for myself… and I happened to find Will there, and… ". Her eyes widened as she comprehended what Dr. Begler had been trying to tell her.

"So, how was the Park?" Dr. Begler asked her smiling, noticing the sudden insight Emma just did.

"Interesting… very interesting. I didn`t freaked out! And I even rested my back on a tree!" Emma laughed, "It was fun, really fun I have to admit"

"Good, `cause I'm thinking you should keep doing that… and maybe, dare to spend your lunch recess outdoors"

"You mean…?" Emma practically whispered, "Eat outside?"

"While watching football practice, perhaps"

-xx-

Eating outside was as hard as Emma imagined. But still she did it. When the lunch recess arrived, she grabbed her bag and walked outside trying to relax and actually enjoy her me-time. Some kids were outside too, but not too many to make her uncomfortable. She was being lucky referring to crowded places for now. She found her place on a bench facing the school building so she sat there, right before cleaning the surface with a clinex. She was in the middle of her carrot salad when a familiar voice greeted her.

"Elma"

"Sue" re relied dryly. But she didn`t take the indirect and sat next to her. "What…?"

"Just wanted to say you look different" she declared not looking at her, "and I`m kinda excited about it. You seem to be stopping to look like those pandas from the zoo… there`s still the fact that you refuse to mate, but you seem to be on track".

"Uhm…" Emma didn`t see that coming at all, "uhm, thanks, I guess, Sue. I`m, uhm, taking therapy sessions…"

"i`m sorry, Alma, you lost me at "uhm"… enjoy your carrots". And she left.

Back in her office, Emma giggled for a while remembering that awkward scene. She felt proud of her advances and it was nice to see someone notice them. Even if that person was Sue.

At the end of the day, Will crushed into Emma on his way out.

"Oh, Geez, I`m sorry, Em!" he apologized grabbing her arms to keep her steady, "you allright?"

"I`m good, Will." She told him, fixing her jacket.

"Walk with me to the parking lot?" she nodded in respond and he asked her, "Didn´t see you at lunch… too much work lately?"

"Actually no… I… I ate outside" she confessed with a proud tone.

"Emma Pillsbury is going wild!" Will teased her as she laughed, "You did? Why didn`t you invite me? I`m not wild enough for you?" he joked again and instantly regret it as he thought that could make her uncomfortable.

"Actually you`re too wild for me, that`s why I didn´t invite you… I was afraid you`d ask me to eat with my hands and share glasses" she made a disgust face and grinned at him. "I'm sorry I didn`t ask you to join me… I was so excited about it, it never occurred me"

"It`s ok, Em, really. Maybe mext time?" he asked her shyly

"Definitively next time, Will. See you tomorrow!"

-xx-

Nationals date was coming closer and the Glee kids were excited, stressed and uncontrollably. They had rehearsal every afternoon and their physical and emotional exhaust was beginning to get noticed. Will wasn`t the exception. He looked and felt tired; the kids were demanding as never and Sue was breathing on his neck like a wild animal.

"Back off, Sue. Seriously", he warned her one day at the teachers' lounge, the tension was growing everyday between them and Will was very susceptible to anything that could affect his day.

"Or what, butter head?" she yelled at him with ferocity

"And stop with the name calling! You know what, why don`t you find an occupation, like train your squad for Nationals… Oh, no… wait… you didn`t classify!".

"That`s war, Schuester" she threat him leaving the room and smashing every object she could reach against the wall.

"Will….?" Emma called him softly when they were alone, "Will, are you ok?"

"Do I look ok…?" he answered back with a tired smile on his face. Emma placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down, but it just made it worst; his eyes were red shinny.

"Oh, Will" she stood up and embrace his body around her arms holding him with all she had. "You need to relax for a while".

"I can`t… this is so important for them, I could never rest knowing they have the chance to win", his voice was shaky and sour.

"You`re gonna crack if you don´t….", Will was trying very hard not to cry himself out because all the pressure, "Shhh… let that go, swee…" she cut herself before she could even finish. Will took his head off her to look at her, not believing the words that almost escaped her mouth.

"It`s gone already" he declared not taking his eyes off her, you just made it go away, he thought. Emma caught the message right away, but tried to focus. It was hard with Will looking at her the way he was.

"Take a break, Will; seriously…" he stared at her, not knowing exactly how to figure out her. She was giving him that look, "for me..? Please?" she pleaded.

"Anything for you, Em"