Chapter 15
Wednesday and the scheduled time had come far more quickly than anticipated. Raven walked into the waiting room. It was a bit cramped with a few chairs lined up and a desk occupied by a redhead doing paperwork. The redhead looked up and smiled. "You must be Yang's mother." She said. "I'm Pyrrha, Dr. Goodwitch's assistant."
"Nice to meet you." Raven said. She shook Pyrrha's hand. "I...uh...don't know how I feel about all this. I've never been one to ask for help with anything." She sighed and shook her head. "I couldn't even schedule the session myself."
"We all need some help from time to time." Pyrrha said. "There's no shame in that. The real shame is in not asking when you really need it."
"Don't I know…" Raven groaned.
The door at the end of the room swung open, revealing an older, busty blonde. "Ms. Branwen?" The blonde asked.
"I am." Raven replied.
"I'm Dr. Goodwitch." Glynda introduced herself. "But you can call my Glynda." She extended her hand and Raven shook it. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure's mine." Raven said. "And call me Raven."
"Of course Raven." Glynda said. "Please, follow me." Glynda backed into her office and took her seat on the far side of the coffee table. Raven took the chair opposite. "So, Raven, what brings you to my office today?"
"If I'm totally honest, Yang made it a condition of our reconciliation." Raven admitted. "She says she can't trust me yet, but that your word would go a long way."
"I had a feeling it was something like that." Glynda said. "It's not often someone with no history of therapy comes in out of the blue, particularly the mother of another patient. Still, you wouldn't have come unless you felt like you needed the help. Telling me why would be a good start."
"I fucked up everything, in my life and Yang's, and there was nothing I could do to stop it." Raven sighed, lowering her gaze. "My own body betrayed me, then I had to deal with the aftermath and...I couldn't. I couldn't go back, it was too late. So I stayed away and hoped they'd just forget about me, but that only made things worse. Tai married Summer and she died, Tai was killed by his grief, Summer's daughter died, and Yang probably would have been next if Qrow hadn't shown up and acted like family...like I should have done a long time ago."
"Why did you leave in the first place?" Glynda asked. "You say your body betrayed you…"
"I guess the clinical diagnosis would be postpartum depression." Raven explained. "But that wasn't all. When I looked at Yang...I just...I couldn't connect. In my head I knew she was my daughter, but...in my heart...I was afraid." She was at the brink of tears but forced them back.
"What were you afraid of?" Glynda pressed.
"I was afraid that I would be like my parents." Raven said. "And I couldn't put Yang through that. No one should have to suffer like Qrow and I did."
"That will require some explanation." Glynda said. "What happened with your parents?"
"They were...abusive in the extreme." Raven said. Her expression turned steely, the tears she had been about to shed gone. "My mother and father regularly beat Qrow and I, going back as far as I remember. There didn't even have to be a reason. Then, when I was 11, my father molested me for the first time. Apparently I was squirming too much, so he got my mother and she held me down for him. They both said that if I told anyone they'd kill me, and I have no doubt they would have.
"I don't know if Qrow went through the same thing or if it was just the beatings, but he understood what was happening to me. He did what he could to support me emotionally, but it just didn't end. By the time I was 14 I was considering suicide. I just couldn't take it anymore. Then one day the police showed up, took Qrow and I away, and took our parents to prison. Apparently he'd worked up the courage to tell a teacher, and she'd called the cops. We were put in a foster home, but it was far from where we'd used to live and we lost contact with all our old friends.
"In high school we met Summer and Tai. They were childhood friends of one another, and for some reason they took a liking to us. They showed Qrow and I the love and friendship we'd never had before. Tai made me feel safe and Summer was so kind...Qrow loved Summer, and I just knew they'd end up together, but then I fucked it up for everyone.
"I was dating Tai for a while, and I got pregnant a little after we graduated. It wasn't exactly planned, but we didn't mind having a kid. The longer the pregnancy went on though, the more worried I got. I was afraid of screwing up, ruining my kid the way my parents had ruined me. When Yang was born and I looked at her I didn't feel love...I felt fear. I didn't want it anymore. So I ran. Summer moved in to console Tai and they ended up falling in love and having a kid of their own. Qrow had to stand by and watch that happen while I kept running.
"It wasn't my last marriage. I managed to destroy a few more lives before I decided I should isolate myself before I did more damage. I stopped having real relationships, I stopped trying to make friends. A few weeks ago I took a good hard look at my life. I realized I didn't want to go on like I was, but I didn't really want to kill myself either. So I tracked Yang down. I figured...maybe she could help me...or at least I could apologize in person before I ended it. I was surprised when she didn't just throw me out. I don't deserve any kindness, least of all from her, but there she is, trying to help me get my life straightened out. I just...I want to repair some of the damage I've done. Maybe you can help me do that."
"That's what I'm here for." Glynda said. Like many other patients, Raven had told her story as if reading from a script. Normally Glynda would encourage the patient to better engage his or her emotions. In this case Glynda realized it was different. Raven was not suppressing her emotions. She was just hit so hard by them that she could not properly process them. It was not a lack of emotion but an overwhelming tide. "I appreciate your willingness to tell me all this."
"There's no sense in hiding it." Raven sighed. "I'm here to get help. If I can't do what's necessary to be helped, I'm just wasting our time." Raven finally raised her head. "Yang told me about a group she goes to that you run...do you think…"
"No." Glynda replied. "I don't think the group is a good idea for you, at least not yet."
"So, Doc, do you think you can help me?" Raven asked.
"I do...and don't call me Doc." Glynda replied.
"That's good." Raven said. "I always thought I was beyond help."
"No one is beyond help." Glynda declared.
"We'll see." Raven said.
For once Yang and Winter were among the first to arrive for the group meeting. Sure, Glynda, Pyrrha and Nora were already there, but not being last was an oddity in itself. Yang had something she wanted to discuss, and wanted to clear it with Glynda beforehand. Blake and Velvet were next to arrive, and Sun wandered in just before the scheduled start time. "You're all coming to my barbeque right?" He asked as he took his seat. "I'd hate for all that food to go to waste."
"Yes, we're all going." Blake rolled her eyes.
"Good, because I had some money leftover and I spent it on liquor." Sun said. "Most of my students are underage, and Sage doesn't drink."
"We can talk more about your party later." Glynda cut in. "Right now Yang has something she'd like to discuss."
"Thanks Glynda." Yang said. She took a deep breath. "So...my mother showed up. She apparently wants to make amends and all that."
"That's great." Pyrrha said.
"Sort of." Yang shrugged. "I still...I still have a lot of resentment towards her. I mean, I can't help but blame her for my father's death. If she'd come back 15 years ago...I know it's irrational but...I guess there's a long way to go before I can forgive her."
"It's the sort of thing that can't be rushed." Glynda encouraged. "As long as you're both honestly trying, you can certainly get through it."
"And is she honestly trying?" Yang asked.
"Doctor/patient confidentiality prevents me from saying." Glynda said.
Yang grumbled something under her breath. "Where's your mother living?" Velvet asked.
"With us." Yang replied, gesturing towards Winter. "She mostly keeps to herself though."
"What's she like?" Nora asked.
"Nervous, quiet...flirty." Yang groaned.
"Flirty?" Nora asked.
"Yeah, that's another problem we're having." Yang said. "She won't stop flirting with my girlfriend."
"Oh, it's not so bad." Winter said.
"And my girlfriend won't stop flirting back." Yang added, staring straight at Winter.
"But it's just so much fun." Winter laughed. "And the look on your face is priceless."
"Yeah, I'll bet." Yang grumbled.
"Is she coming to my party?" Sun asked.
"That would be a good way to get her out of the house." Winter suggested. "She seems pretty withdrawn."
"I'll tell her about it." Yang sighed. "She can come if she wants."
On stepping out of the car Pyrrha and Nora could hear the sounds of socializing and kids playing from behind the house. They headed around, through a side gate and into the backyard. Some children were running around while adults chatted on the patio. In the center of it all Sun attended to his grill. "Hey, you guys finally made it." He said as he saw the pair approach.
"Hey Sun!" Nora cheered.
Sun's attention was drawn away as he slipped a burger off the grill and onto a bun, handing it to a tall, green-haired man with a dark complexion. "One burger, toasted bun, no cheese." Sun said with satisfaction as he passed it to him.
"There are scorch marks on the bun." The man said.
"So it caught fire a little bit." Sun shrugged.
"And this patty is way too thick." The man added.
"Goddamn it Sage, make it yourself next time." Sun grumbled. Sage walked away and started eating the burger despite his complaints. "Pyrrha, Nora, that...charming…guy was Sage, one of the parkour instructors at my gym. He runs the teen classes. Unfortunately, his angsty students had better things to do than hang out with us. Let's see, who else do we have." He craned his neck to look around the backyard at the assembled guests. "That guy over there is another instructor, Scarlet. We go way back."
"Why is he dressed like a pirate?" Nora asked.
"I think he thought it was a costume party." Sun laughed, joined by Nora. "No, he just dresses like that. He runs most of the kids' classes and they love that shit."
Raven walked over with a beer in one hand and an empty plate in the other. "That burger was quite good." She said. "Think you could make me another, exactly the same?"
"I'll give it a shot." Sun said, flipping another patty onto the grill.
"You look like Yang…" Nora said.
"This is Yang's mother, Raven." Pyrrha said.
"Oh, that makes sense!" Nora exclaimed. "I thought you'd look more monstrous though. I figured you'd at least have some disfiguring scars."
"Nora!" Pyrrha gasped.
Raven seemed unfazed. "Nah, all the monstrous scars are internal." Raven said with a smirk.
"Preach!" Sun joked. "Seriously though, she seems alright. I can certainly see where Yang got her looks."
Pyrrha was just about admonish Sun but Raven spoke first. "You don't look half bad yourself Mr. Abs." Raven said with a wink. She looked to the grill. "My burger is going to burn if you don't pay attention."
"Oh, right." Sun gasped. He flipped the patty just before the underside started to blacken.
"You have a lovely home, Sun." Pyrrha said.
"Yeah, I think I did alright." Sun said. "I mean, the backyard isn't the crazy garden paradise Nora has, but it's pretty nice."
Nora looked around. "Oh my God, is that a treehouse?!" She asked, bouncing on the spot and giggling. "I always wanted one!"
"Oh yeah, I didn't even notice it when I bought the house." Sun laughed. "One day I was like, 'what the fuck, treehouse? Cool I guess.'"
Nora's giggling intensified and she shook with excitement. Then she was gone, rushing toward the tree with an ecstatic cheer. "Woohoo!" She leapt up, grabbed hold of the base of the tree-house's door, and pulled herself inside.
"Hmm...I'm surprised it held her weight." Sun shrugged. Silence. "Pyrrha, aren't you going to coax her down or something?"
"Let her have some fun." Pyrrha said. "As long as she's not hurting anyone, what's the difference?"
"Wow...she has changed you." Sun laughed.
"You've all changed me, for the better." Pyrrha said. "Now, if you could…"
"Yeah, yeah, grilled vegetables." Sun said. "As soon as I finish…" He looked back to the grill and Raven's burger was gone. "Uh...what?"
"It was starting to burn so I got it myself." Raven said, adding toppings to the burger on her plate.
"Well then...vegetables." Sun grumbled.
"Look Pyrrha, I'm a sloth!" Nora exclaimed, hanging from one of the tree branches.
"Keep living the dream!" Pyrrha cheered. Nora made a high-pitched whining noise. "I still don't think that's what a sloth sounds like!" Nora just ignored her, as happy as could be.
Raven approached Sun just as he handed a plate to Pyrrha. "The burger was excellent." Raven said. "But the cooler's empty. Is there more beer anywhere?"
"Looks like it's time for cooler number 2." Sun said. "Just wait here a minute and I'll bring it out."
With a thud Nora fell from the tree and landed flat on her back. "Oh my God!" Pyrrha yelled, rushing to her side.
Nora leapt to her feet, laughing her head off. "That must be why sloths are so slow!" She giggled. "Missing a grip sucks!" Before Pyrrha could say another word Nora jumped and grabbed the branch again, wrapping her arms and legs around it.
Meanwhile, Raven waited for more beer. "Hello Raven." Glynda said. "How are you doing?"
"I'm alright." Raven replied. "Just waiting on more beer."
"I meant more generally." Glynda clarified. "How are things at home?"
"Well...Yang doesn't talk to me much." Raven answered. "I understand. After all the pain I've caused it must be hard for her. It's hard for me too. She's a walking, talking reminder of my fuck-ups. But Winter's very kind, and her home is so luxurious."
"You still haven't said much about you." Glynda pressed.
"Isn't this your day off?" Raven said with an uneasy laugh. Glynda gave her a stern look. "Okay...I'm...usually alright I guess. I have waves of depression, I have for a while now. I can usually handle it alright. Sometimes I just have to go to my room and have a cry. Nothing that bad."
"If you really need to talk, don't be afraid to call." Glynda encouraged.
"Are you this nice to all your patients?" Raven asked. Glynda just looked at her blankly. "Not even a smile? Don't worry, I'll call if it gets to be too much."
"Follow me!" Nora called. Raven and Glynda looked over to see Nora hanging further out on the branch, with a number of Sun's younger students hanging closer to the treehouse. "Pyrrha, I'm like a mama sloth now!"
"That's great dear." Pyrrha said, the alarm clear in her voice. "Just...just be careful."
Sun walked out dragging a large cooler. "Here's the beer." He said, lifting the lid.
"Thanks." Raven said, grabbing a bottle and wandering off.
"What did I miss?" Sun asked.
"Some of your students are playing in the tree with Nora." Glynda replied. "Maybe you should go make sure they don't hurt themselves."
"They'll be fine." Sun shrugged. "I taught them about safety and all that."
"But did you teach them about Nora?" Glynda pressed.
"Good point." Sun said. "Scarlet! Sage! Go spot the kids!" Scarlet jogged his way over, positioning himself below the children as they climbed around the tree. Sage sighed, put down his unfinished burger, and joined his compatriot.
As night fell the children and their parents headed home. Even Sage and Scarlet departed, leaving just the therapy group. A few of them - Sun, Raven and Nora in particular - had a bit too much to drink. The problem was only exacerbated when Sun broke out the hard liquor. He sat at the patio table across from Raven, the pair going shot for shot until the bottle of whiskey was empty. "Looks like it's a tie." Sun slurred.
"Yep." Raven agreed, wobbling a bit in her chair.
"I could get another bottle for us to settle this." Sun offered.
"Nah, that's okay." Raven said. "A tie's good enough for me Mr. Abs." She paused, taking a few seconds to stare at Sun's exposed muscles. "Would it be awkward if we fucked?"
"Only one way to find out!" Sun said, leaning toward her.
"Alright, party's over!" Glynda shouted, stepping between them. "Come on Raven. Yang! Winter! Time to take her home!"
Yang and Winter helped Raven up from her chair and started for the gate. "Did...did Glynda just cock-block me?" Sun asked.
Nora and Pyrrha were also leaving. Raven stumbled and bumped into Nora who, in her own inebriated state, almost fell over. "Whoops, sorry Raven!" Nora said. She looked at the tall brunette. "God, you boobs are huge!"
"You're not bad yourself, girlie." Raven responded.
"Mine!" Pyrrha pushed between them, guiding Nora out the gate.
"Come on, let's not break up my friends' relationships." Yang said, easing her mother along. "Though if you'd stop flirting with Winter…"
"Never." Raven said defiantly. She then immediately passed out, falling face-first onto the grass.
"Hey Sun!" Yang called back. "She's out cold! You win!"
"He passed out too!" Blake shouted back.
"Still a tie I guess." Winter shrugged.