Chapter 21 - Dr. Brooks' Visit|
The morning after the gala, the house was filled with the scent of fresh coffee and a profound sense of relief. We were sitting at the kitchen table reading the incredibly positive local news coverage when the doorbell rang. I opened the door to find Dr. Brooks, Lily’s former childhood therapist, standing on the porch holding a large bouquet of yellow flowers.
"I hope I am not intruding," Dr. Brooks smiled warmly, her kind eyes crinkling at the corners.
"Not at all, come in," I welcomed her, stepping aside.
Lily rushed out of the kitchen, her face lighting up at the sight of the woman who had helped guide her through her darkest panic attacks years ago.
"Dr. Brooks!" Lily hugged her tightly.
"I watched the live stream of your speech last night," Dr. Brooks said, handing Lily the flowers. "I wept like a baby in my living room. You were magnificent, Lily."
"Thank you. I was shaking the entire time," Lily admitted, carrying the flowers to the sink to find a vase.
"True courage is being terrified and doing it anyway," Dr. Brooks reminded her, sitting at the island. "I hear you are majoring in child psychology."
"I am. I want to do what you do. I want to help kids unpack their trauma before it defines their entire adult lives."
Dr. Brooks looked at her with immense professional pride. "It is a heavy burden, Lily. You have to be careful not to absorb their pain into your own unresolved wounds."
"I know. My professors talk about counter-transference constantly. But I think having lived through it gives me an edge. I know what the silence sounds like. I know how to look for the things a child isn't saying."
"If you ever need an internship or want to observe a clinical setting, my practice is always open to you," Dr. Brooks offered.
May you like
"I would love that," Lily beamed.
Watching the two of them talk, I realized that the network of safe adults Anna and I had desperately stitched together to protect Lily had evolved. These people were no longer just Lily’s protectors; they were becoming her mentors, her colleagues, and her chosen family.
