What Part of Marine Don't You Understand - By Heather Long Page 0,26
quite keep the grin off his face.
“I don’t really need to.” James settled in his chair and set his notepad to the side. “What happened?”
“Naomi.” The simple act of saying her name filled him with a giddiness he hadn’t laid claim to in years. Fresh, new, simple—fantastic—she was perfect.
“So things are moving forward with you two?”
“You could say that—and while we’re on the subject, I canceled my 1Night Stand plans—officially. I know I forfeit the deposit, but I don’t care.” Sipping the coffee, he rubbed his foot along Jethro’s side. He sprawled on his back, belly up, tongue lolling—the picture of bliss.
“Are you rushing this, Matt?” The therapist leaned forward, studying him. Despite the bland expression, concern crinkled the corners of his eyes.
“No. Maybe. I don’t care.” He’d thought about it a lot after leaving her—struggled with it before falling asleep. Hearing the soft sound of her breathing over the phone soothed him in ways he couldn’t define. He liked her, liked spending time with her, liked listening to her. Already half in love and no matter how terrifying a prospect, it thrilled him, too.
“That’s a very definitive answer.”
“Falling in love doesn’t have a definitive answer. Isn’t that what you told me?” They’d had a similar conversation months before, not long after James and Lauren rescued him from an outburst at a Plano bar. The psychologist and the movie star—a chick flick pairing if ever there was one—but they fit each other.
“No. It doesn’t. But is she aware of your issues?” Ahh, that’s what concerned him. At least in this, Matt could set his mind at ease.
“Yes. I talked to her about it. Told her about the diagnosis and about being in counseling. I also told her about my plans to go for school.”
She’d taken both pieces of information so well, he couldn’t figure out why he hadn’t mentioned it sooner. The younger sister of four Marines, she likely had her own experiences to share with him when ready.
“Good. How did she take it?”
“She understood.” Met his admission with compassion and acceptance, not pity. He knew the difference, had seen it in different people. PTSD scared people because they didn’t understand it. Not that he was an expert, but he learned and would continue learning. Limited didn’t mean incapable—it meant he needed training and experience and coping mechanisms.
“Matt, this is a process…I don’t want to discourage you from a relationship that obviously makes you happy, but it’s a process. It’s not something that will happen for you overnight. You’re going to have good days—”
“And bad days. I get that.” Exhaling, he came to his second bit of news. “I also realized something about Jethro this morning. He’s not a loaner dog, is he?”
“No.” James offered him a quiet smile. “He is a gift.”
“Why give me a specially trained dog and not tell me what he really is?” The only puzzle piece he hadn’t fit into place.
“That’s a fair question. Your anger issues made it hard to tell you what help you required. Part of healing is recognizing what you need so you can ask for it first.” The answer made a certain amount of sense.
“But why now?” He rubbed his chin. “I’ve been here on and off for two years.”
“What did you say to me when you came back this time?” James challenged.
They’d had so many conversations over the last few months, much less in the last few weeks.
“Think about it and ask me again when you remember. For now, Jethro is yours. I think you two are great together.”
Matt laughed. “It’s funny, you have more of a comment for the dog than the girl. Not sure what that says to me?”
“Stay honest with yourself, stay honest with her, and you have nothing but my best wishes.”
“Fair enough.” He nodded. “Thanks, Doc. Time for the brutal memory portion of our day?”
“No.” James shook his head. “I think today we talk about how it felt to tell her….”
***
Naomi left her guitar at the apartment, confirmed her flights, and packed her overnight bag. Choosing shorts and a tank top, she actually took time with her hair and added a touch of lip gloss. She’d already sent the new music sheets to Phil. The rest of the day stretched out in front of her and she planned to make the most of it with Matt.
He appeared around the corner of the path as if conjured by her thoughts. She couldn’t keep the grin off her face or her heart from playing Ping-Pong with