It was a Friday. The day they met. September 1, 1989. How could Veronica forget that day? It was engraved in her memory, every detail stored. What if she chose to make the fake pass a little less real? What if she said no to Heather Chandler?
Her entire life was a before-and-after statement. Before she met JD, her life was perfect. After, it all went down the drain. Her entire life was filled with "what-ifs." What if she told JD off sooner? What if she didn't tell Heather Chandler off at all?
It's Friday. Did she mention that yet? Well, that was her therapy day. She stepped into the building. It smelled like old people. She thought it was a retirement home at one point. JD would have hated it.
She flipped the light switch to her therapist. It read, "Dr. Schuyler." That was her therapist. She was in her 40s, with bleached hair, and Veronica had the sense that she was trying desperately to stay relevant in a world that told her she was irrelevant. Veronica didn't like her very much, but she needed someone to talk to and Dr. Schuyler was the woman for the job.
Dr. Schuyler opened the door and put on a fake smile. "Veronica! You made it!"
"Can it." Veronica would have liked to have said. She actually said, "I made it!" and put on a fake smile as well.
She gestured Veronica to follow her into the office. "So what's up, Veronica?"
"Today is a Friday." Veronica said.
Dr. Schuyler looked confused for a moment. "Yes, I suppose it is. What is it about this Friday that's surprising?
"I met him on a Friday."
"Who's h-oh! Today's September 1, 1990."
"A year ago."
"How is your relationship with Martha?"
"Dr. Schuyler, today is the one year anniversary of the day everything in my life went wrong and you want to talk about Martha?"
"I'm sorry, Veronica."
"No, Dr. Schuyler, I'm sorry. I thought you were different. I thought you cared about how I was doing. Goodbye!" Veronica said, and stormed out of the office.