Hello everyone how is you all, so for those who reviewed and read my last chapter thank you all so much it means the world to me now I hope you all like this chapter and let me know of your thoughts xxxx.
"All right Valentina so I was thinking that maybe we should start by getting to know each other better because I want you to be comfortable with me so why don't you start by telling me about yourself."
Valentina knew she had to be careful about how she answered this she didn't want to give much away but she also wanted to avoid creating any suspicion that she was, withholding any information so she knew her answer would be critical if she wanted to avoid further sessions.
"Well there honestly isn't a whole lot to say really I mean I'm 16, I recently moved from L.A with my mum and her fiancé because my mum got a better job offer."
"Okay and what do you like to do for fun do you have any hobbies?"
"I like shopping but honestly that's it I don't really have hobbies it was not my thing."
"Okay and with your friends did you only ever go shopping or did you guys hangout at your home or anything like that?"
"I mean my friends would come over and occasionally we would go to the beach since our backyard was the beach but that was it."
"Okay so I'm wondering is there any particular reason you don't like talking about L.A because I'm just concerned that you're not opening up completely about your time in L.A?"
"Honestly I'm just not a person who did much in L.A I was the quiet kid I spent a lot of time with my mum at the hospital and hanging out with my friends apart from that there isn't a whole lot to say about L.A"
Lisa was now certain that Valentina wasn't being completely honest about her time in L.A and she now knew that she was going to have to work on Valentina and get her to break down the walls she seems to have built up.
"Alright well why don't we talk about your diagnosis I'm sure getting that news was upsetting for you so why don't you tell me how you feel about it all."
"I don't know I guess I'm scared I never talk about my feelings it's never been my strong point but honestly I'm scared that the treatment won't work. That I'll die from it or that if I don't make it through the impact it will have on my mum."
"Well that's completely understandable that you would be frightened about the possible outcomes and I know that none of this is easy on anyone, but what I want to talk about is your mum you mentioned you were worried about what the impact it was having on her?"
"My mum has never been good with dealing things she doesn't like feeling it but rather she likes to keep it bottled up and I know for a long time I was the sole reason. She was motivated to do just about anything in her life I was her motivation and I'm worried that if I don't make it through that she will lose all motivation to do anything and I don't want that for her."
"So, what you are saying is you are concerned that if you were to die that your mum. Won't be able to deal with it and has anything happened in the past that has lead you to believe this?"
"Yeah basically that's what I'm trying to say and no there hasn't been anything that has occurred in the past. It's just that for 16 years it has only been me and my mum and we always did everything together I was her rock that's why I feel that way."
Lisa knew there was a lot more to this story then what Valentina was admitting and she knew that whatever, was lurking beneath the exterior was something serious. Something she knew Valentina was not willing to discuss but she also knew this girl needed to break down her barriers and let people in. So, Lisa knew her job was now going to be getting Valentina to start communicating more and getting her to open up more especially to those closest to her, but she knew that at least for today she was not going to pry more information out of her so she thought it would be best to end the session there for today.
"Alright I think we should leave it there today and next week I'll set up another time to come and talk with you because there is a lot more to discuss but for now we should leave it there."
"Alright that sounds good I guess I'll see you next week."
Lisa noted the sarcasm in Valentina's voice she knew that the teen was not happy about having more session's but Lisa knew she had to get her talking and the only way she would do so. Was by organising more sessions so that the teen would eventually be more comfortable with sharing and opening up. At that moment Lisa saw Amelia coming back to the room and she decided to speak with her before she walked back into the room.
"Amelia is it alright that I speak with you before you go back in there I want to discuss the events of today."
"Uh sure I guess, what did she have to say?"
"Well that's the thing I'm going to schedule more sessions because it seems as though Valentina really isn't comfortable about opening. Up especially when I bring up L.A and I think it's detrimental that we get her talking and learning how to communicate, so I want to know if there was anything that happened in L.A that would cause her to not want to talk about it?"
"We went through some things in L.A but I mean we got through them and honestly she just doesn't like talking about feelings she's just not that type of a person she's never been good at it."
"Alright that's fine I will see her the same time next week but thanks for the insight about everything."
Lisa could tell quite clearly that Amelia was not going to offer any information which meant that she would have to do some digging about their time in L.A she just hoped that something was recorded that would give her the information she needed. So, she returned back to her office and went digging through patient databases she also went to consult her past cases to see if there was, any similar behaviour patterns, it seemed that her investigation had paid off she was able to see that Amelia had a no narcotic's request and when she went through past cases. She noted that teens who were exposed to addiction often showed similar behaviour patterns building walls as a shield to protect themselves. She also ran an internet search and at first it didn't yield any initial results but she was able to find an article in 1996, about Amelia crashing her brother's car and her overdosing on narcotics and now she was sure about what they were hiding it would now be a matter of getting them to talk.
Over the course of the next few days chemo was beginning to take a toll on Valentina she was facing the full force of the side effects chemo came with and seeing her precious daughter suffer was breaking Amelia to pieces she only wished she could trade places with her daughter.
"Val how's the nausea is it beginning to stop?"
"No not really mum and it sucks I can't eat anything because if I do all I want do immediately afterwards is throw up again and I'm tired of vomiting constantly."
"Alright I'll see if Alex can give you any anti-nausea medication to try and stop it so you can because if we can't get you to eat they're going to have put a Ng tube in and that is extremely uncomfortable."
"Alright mum just gets, him to give me whatever because I can't take much more of this, also I'm wondering when you are planning on telling everyone about the pregnancy, because you won't be able to hide that baby bump much longer."
"God, I haven't even thought about that I've only gone and gotten ultrasounds and your brother is happy and healthy but you're right I am going to have to tell everyone so it may as well be today. The family and Ryan are supposed to be coming by this afternoon so we'll tell them all then and hopefully everyone will be happy about it this time."
"I'm sure they will be mum everything is different now they have no real excuse this time."
Amelia wanted to share Valentina's optimism but she also knew her family all too well and how judgemental they could be in terms of the baby's father and the circumstances of her unborn baby's conception but she also knew that she would. Not allow any negativity knock her down like it did last time no with everything going on she had no time for it and she was not going to allow them to ruin the moment. It was around 4pm when everyone showed up and Amelia had talked to Ryan about sharing the news and he agreed now was the time to do so.
"Hey everyone can I have your attention there is something Ryan and I have to tell you, something we've been hiding and no it's not a bad thing at least not to us it isn't but we are expecting a healthy baby boy in four months."
Everyone in the room looked at Amelia and Ryan in shock, however Amelia took note of Meredith and Derek's expression Amelia had sensed that they had probably figured it out already. She also saw her mum's expression being similar to Derek's although this time it was as if she was happy about the news because her face was different from last time. As usual her sisters were not giving anything away with their expressions and Addison and Sam stood there beaming for them."
"So, I'm going to be a grandma again?"
"Yeah you are, please tell me you are happy about it?"
"Oh Amelia of course I am, I know last time I wasn't and I'm so sorry about that but this time I truly am happy about it."
"I'm glad that Meredith and I get the chance to be an aunt and uncle again but we had a bet going on when you were going to tell us we figured it out a few weeks ago."
"I can't believe it Amelia you're going to make an Aunt again."
"Yeah, I am Addie and Nancy, Kate, Lizzie how do you guys feel about it?"
"We are happy for you Amelia and as mum said before we should have been there the first time but we will be there this time the whole way through you can count on it."
Kate and Lizzie nodded at Nancy's words and for the first time in a long time Amelia. Was truly happy that her whole family was there to support them and although, it was somewhat bitter sweet given what happened the first time she was just grateful they were all there supporting her.
"Val how do you feel about being a big sister for the first time?"
"I'm honestly so excited for the first time ever I'm going to get a dream that I didn't even think would be possible something up until recently would always be a dream and I can't wait to hold him and tell him how much I love him; do you have any names for the baby?"
"We have a middle name but no definite first name yet but I'm just glad everyone is happy god only knows we could use a little happiness around here."
A week soon passed with Valentina's chemo treatments becoming more and more intense. But it was now time for her second therapy appointment and she was not in the mood to talk to the shrink she was hopping the session wouldn't be too long. Walking into the room Lisa noted that the teen seemed rather angry and somewhat moody, but Lisa attributed that to the treatments and the effects they were having on her but nevertheless she hopeful the teen would open up more.
"Hey Valentina how are you today?"
"Fine"
"How have your treatments been I understand you had your first round of chemo this week?"
"How do you think they were all I do is vomit and lie in this bed feeling like utter crap all the time."
"Alright and do you want to talk about it and how you feel?"
"No not really if it's all the same to you I really don't want to talk about anything."
"I know you might feel this way right now but I do believe it would be good for you talk you seem to have a lot of built up anger I just think it would be good to get it all out."
"Yeah no like I said before I don't want to talk at all."
Valentina didn't mean to be bitter and harsh but the effects of chemo were wearing, her thin and having the shrink bother her with stupid questions was only proving to annoy her even more.
"Alright well why don't we talk about L.A I understand that you experienced someone close to you suffering from addiction?"
At the mention of Addiction that got Valentina's attention how on earth did the therapist know about that at first, she assumed her mum but then she remembered. Her mum hated talking about that part of their lives so there was no way she would have volunteered that information up to the shrink.
"What makes you think I've seen someone close to me suffer from addiction?"
"Well from my experience the behaviour you are exhibiting mimics that of people who have seen addiction first hand?"
"Yeah well you have no clue what you are talking about I've never seen anyone suffer from addiction before."
Lisa knew at this point Valentina was clearly lying about that but she had to give it to the teen. Most people never would have picked up that she was lying she was good at it and clearly experienced at lying, this only made Lisa even more curious about what the teen was hiding, because whatever it was it was clear that it was not something she would share easily.
"I understand that you are angry about what happened in L.A but I also know that you are lying I know seeing people go through addiction is tough but I also know it's more difficult when it's your parent going through it."
"My mum did not have any type of addiction and I'm not lying about anything there was nothing significant that happened in L.A honestly can we end the session there is nothing more for me to say."
"Alright well I guess we can leave it for today but I will see you next week at the same time."
"Seriously Lady I don't know what you think I'm hiding but I can tell you right now there is nothing to talk about."
"I think for so long you've been able to lie your way at out of things as a way to not expose your vulnerability and I think for the first time someone is trying to expose it and your response is to become defensive, I know you think that I'm nosey or that I'm prying into your business but I also know that you have a lot of unresolved emotions so I'll see you in a week."
If Valentina wasn't annoyed or angry before she certainly was now she didn't understand why this woman was determined to discuss things that she clearly didn't want to talk about. However, Valentina knew that she was right about her not wanting to appear vulnerable, for years she has always held a hard shell that made her strong but also served as her protection and now here this shrink was determined to break down the protection she had built up.
Alright guys so originally I wasn't going to upload two chapters however since I had the other one already written I figured why not, now the next chapter is probably my favourite one I have written so far, I hope you guys liked this chapter and tell me what you all thought of it as always xxxx.