It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, the kind that's perfect for a well deserved nap. The weather was pleasant in South Carolina today; with blue, cloudless skies and soft breezes that warmed the skin. Emmalin Holden loved days like these and would often go to the local basketball court with a friend or Doctor Burton. Today was one of those days.

Emmalin walked into the fenced in basketball court to be greeted by the African-American psychiatrist. He was already shooting hoops in his usual workout clothes.

"Hey Dr. Burton." Emmalin smiled, she had so much to talk to him about today.

"Hey Emmalin, so how's it going?" He greeted smiling.

"I have so much to tell you." She walked upon the court, trading in her flip flops for her sneakers.

"Good or bad?" He laughed, taking a shot off the faded white backboard and just barely missing.

"Good. I've been spending a lot of time with Jeremy, lately." The seventeen year old smiled at the thought of her crush. She pulled her dark mahogany hair into a messy, quick ponytail before stealing the ball and taking a shot, watching as it touched the rim before sailing through the basket.

"Hmm. So what's going on between you and Private Sherwood?" He question, raising an eyebrow. The middle-aged man thought of the girl as a daughter and didn't necessarily like the idea of her dating an older, PTSD-diagnosed soldier.

"I'm not exactly sure. But I know he has feelings for me too." Emmalin blushed, still accepting the fact that he returned her feelings.

"Is that still a good thing?" He raised a brow, bantering with the seventeen year old as she took a shot.

"Well I think so." Emmalin laughed, guarding the doctor, though not successfully since he was so much taller than her.

"Well would I think so?" He teased, though dead-serious.

"I think you would." The brunette bantered. Jeremy was nothing but good to her so far, and why consider him wrong when he hadn't made a mistake?

"Hmm. Then that's good, tell me more." Stealing the ball and shooting a three-pointer, cheering when he scored. As much as she tried to talk him out of his infamous, chicken-themed victory dance, Roland did it anyways.

"Jeremy would make a great boyfriend, and he wants to date me, I think, but he says he won't kiss me or anything until I turn eighteen." The youngest Holden sighed.

"I've been his counselor for the last month, he just went back to work." The Army Husband brought up.

"I know, it's too soon." Emmalin frowned as they sat at a bench, drinking their bottles of water.

"I don't think it's too soon." He shook his head.

"Are you crazy it's only been a month?" She turned to look at him wide-eyed, shocked that Dr. Burton wouldn't agree with her on this matter.

"Yes, but he's made significant progress and he's ready to go to work. Jeremy and Frank are a lot alike in the sense that they both feel a sense of duty to serve." Roland sighed, trying really hard not to break the confidentiality he had with Private Sherwood.

"They're a lot more alike then just that. But Jeremy would deny it if you asked. What's he talk about in counseling?" Emmalin laughed, knowing he couldn't and wouldn't tell her about Jeremy's sessions.

"You know I can't tell you that. It'd be breaking confidentiality." He laughed, taking another shot from half-court.

"Is he really getting better? You can tell me that right?" She called from the bench.

"Yes. He's really getting better. When Jeremy shot himself, it was him trying to relieve his subconscious of all that guilt." Roland went on to explain how that was an understandable, but fairly untypical technique of guilt relief.

"So by shooting himself, like a dumbass, he was working through his issues?" Emmalin raised a brow. Until now she thought it was the depression that led to the suicide attempt.

"I know it sounds crazy, but yes. His method was absolutely wrong, but it was a coping technique. Kinda how you were mourning Amanda and ran away with Logan."

"I get that. But what if he starts feeling guilty again, he can't shoot himself every time he feels guilty. He still has nightmares." Emmalin asked, her voice and eyes full of melancholy.

"You see, it's my job to give Private Sherwood the proper tools and communication skills to correctly cope if he starts feeling guilty again. Does Jeremy speak to you about his nightmares?"

"Only once or twice, he doesn't like talking about them."

"Tell me about it, Frank and Jeremy are the worst communicators I have seen in all my years as a physician! I have to fight them both for every scrap of personal info they give me! I don't know how Denise puts up with it." Roland exclaimed, in total awe at his Army Wife friend's ability to deal with her husband and son's lack of communication. They were such private people that it took four session just for either of them to tell him anything.

"He and the Major have a sometimes strained relationship, we haven't talked about it but there's sometimes tension between them. Jeremy can be slow to open up."

"Has he opened up to you?"

"Significantly, but not totally." She smiled.

"What do you talk about? Same things we talk about?"

"Sorta. I talked to him about Amanda the other day."

"Really? How did that go?"

"Hmmm. I sorta had a minor breakdown and confessed that I was worried that he only liked me cause I'm Amanda's little sister." She decided that she wouldn't mention her being under the influence of tequila when this breakdown occurred.

"And?" Roland pressed, curious.

"And he assured me that it never crossed his mind to use me as an Amanda replacement. He said that he loved her but he wasn't ever in love with her. I made him clarify that last part cause I didn't quite get it."

"You get it now? There's a big difference. You love your parents, you will be in love with your husband."

"I know." Emmalin assured him, guarding the ball.

"Frank's in therapy with him twice a week."

"Why?"

"Family communication. Jeremy and Denise are close but he and the Major need some work."

"They love each other." Emmalin insisted. She knew they fought, but without a doubt in her mind they loved each other. She remember the way Major Sherwood looked in the hospital ER and when Jeremy was having that nightmare, he cared he just wasn't always good at showing it.

"Of course they do, they just have a hard time talking about their feelings."

"They're coming to dinner Tuesday." Emmalin smiled, bringing up Claudia Joy's closest dinner arrangement. It would be a close function between her parent's friends.

"So are Sarah-Elizabeth and I." He laughed.

"I'm excited. What do you think I should wear?" She gushed, she only had two days to pick out the right outfit. Guys were lucky, they didn't have to spend all the time girls did getting ready. No makeup, hair, and clothing prep. Honestly, it is not a fast process becoming glamorous, it usually takes hours!

"If Sarah-Elizabeth were going on this date, I'd tell her to wear a snowsuit! Less is definetly more!" Roland insisted. He knew what went on in an almost twenty year old's mind!

They finished their game and headed off. Talking to Roland always made Emmalin feel better, no obsessive baking here. She'd see him and the Sherwood's Tuesday at her mother's dinner party.