“So Jill, last time we talked, you mentioned how one of the people you bullied in the past came back to visit. I would like to revisit that if it’s okay with you?” Dr. Trent leaned back in his chair with a soft smile while Jillian leaned back in the recliner across the room from him.

“Sure, I guess,” she said, not feeling all that confident, though the couple had ended up making up last night. She was still afraid of what her therapist would say if she told him what she did.

“Great. And can I just say that you look much more relaxed than last time? I assume that things went well with them?”

His always optimistic attitude wore down on Jillian a little. She rubbed her arm slightly, which, of course, he saw as a nonverbal tell.

“Yeah, it's been going good… it's been really hard, but I feel like I am a lot happier, at least,” she said with a slight smile.

“Mmhmm.” Dr.Trent looked carefully at Jillian. It was obvious she wasn’t giving him all the information yet, but he continued as usual. “Well, I am glad that you feel that way. Can you tell me what all went on while he was here?”

The small little trap was set.

“Umm, well, I can’t really tell you everything that went on. But he is actually still in town.”

Jillian didn’t even realize she had given away something critical. Her therapist smiled, took off his glasses and set them down on his desk.

“Does he happen to be named Jason?”

Her eyes widened as she looked up at him. She didn’t even need to confirm it. Her look of surprise told him everything. Jillian had been so careful not to say more than someone had come to visit their last session. And now, within minutes of the start, he knew it was Jason and that he was still in town.

“That’s not fair,” she grumbled slightly.

“Haha, I'm sorry, but I have your best interest at heart I promise. So tell me how did Jason react to seeing you again for the first time?” Dr.Trent said with a warm smile on his face. Jillian stared down at her hands, still grumbling slightly.

“Not good…Terribly, painfully, angrily... Pick one.”

“Well, I am sure you weren’t expecting him to simply open his arms and forgive you without a second thought, were you?”

Jillian shook her head with a scowl, remembering that night.

“I did apologize to him for what I did.”

“From the look on your face, I assume that it didn’t go well?” he chimed in. She nodded in response, letting out a heavy sigh and fiddling with her fingers in her lap.

“No…He took it badly… very badly.”

The scowl on her face deepened. Jason’s hurtful words still stung to think about, even with how sweet he was now. Jillian explained how Jason had blown up and spat insults at her, and she shot right back in anger. Then, how he had said something over the top, and she ended up crying in the bathroom for a bit before going home shortly after.

“So this was a dinner your two families had? That’s quite the coincidence.”

“Yeah, we live barely two blocks away from each other,” Jillian admitted.

“Wow… that’s just…wow,” Dr. Trent said in surprise, not sure how the two never ran into each other and realized this while they were younger.

“Yeah… we fought a lot this last week, but we also started spending some time together. He even told me the other day that he enjoyed doing stuff with me.”

“Stuff?” her therapist asked with a raised eyebrow. He was mostly just curious about what they did, but the flushed look on her face and the crooked smile that crossed her lips said more than she could possibly say in such a short time.

“Jillian you didn’t…,” he frowned deeply at her.

She had told him about how she had been sexually active in highschool and the constant sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of Luis, along with all the things she did to make her way across the country to get back home. So Dr. Trent highly recommended she spend at least a year celibate before attempting to get back into the dating scene. He wanted her to be in the right headspace and not revolve her world around sex. So he was less than pleased that it looked like she had not taken that advice to heart. He just hoped that she wasn’t being taken advantage of by Jason out of revenge.

“I-it’s not like that!” Jillian said with a scowl at the look of disappointment on his face. “I’m not stupid! He didn’t even want anything to do with me at first. So it's not like he was trying to trick me into sleeping with him! Hell, he straight up rejected me when I threw myself at him.” She stood up, feeling an overwhelming desire to defend her boyfriend. Dr. Trent blinked back, a little stunned at the sudden outburst.

“He may have said some mean things to me, but it wasn’t like I didn’t deserve them for what I did. Even after all I put him through, he still treats me better than any other man I have had the displeasure of dating. Yeah, we argue and have our moments, but when he held me in his arms that night..for the first time in my adult life, I felt truly safe,” Jillian passionately declared her stance. She wasn’t going to let him disparage the most stable relationship she had ever been in.

Dr. Trent just sat there in stunned silence for several moments. He had never seen her so passionate. She was always a bit like an abused dog: scared and meek but would snap at you if you got too close. It felt like she had become a new person, or perhaps she was just finally returning to who she was. Still, he had a job to do and had his own thoughts on this new development.

“So are you two actually dating?”

The fierce look on her face quickly vanished and the shy and slightly embarrassed Jillian returned. She looked away for a moment before nodding to him.

“Y-yeah… he asked me out this weekend.”

It was clear she was fighting against a smile at the memory, trying to keep her hard exterior. Dr. Trent took a deep breath and set his pen down before rubbing his eyes a bit with the heels of his palms. This was quite a shift from what he was used to dealing with when it came to her.

“Well, let me say first I am glad that you are happy. I really am. You look happier and sound more confident, so please take what I am about to say with a grain of salt…In my professional opinion, I can’t approve of your relationship.”

Jillian was all smiles until the last part.

“And why the hell not!?”

She kinda knew the answer, but at the same time felt like she needed to aggressively defend her relationship.

“Because you have only known this man for a week if you don’t count high school. And your history together is rocky at best. From what you have told me, it doesn’t sound like the most stable relationship as well. Plus, he’s just visiting, right? How far does he live?” Dr. Trent laid it out honestly.

Jillian looked angry but answered, “Florida.”

“Exactly. He’s going to leave soon, and things are going to get complicated. More than I fear you can handle right now. It’s only been six months since you got out of an abusive relationship. And if this doesn’t end well, I am afraid for your mental state. I really wish you would have waited at least a year or more.”

He took another deep breath as he looked at Jillian standing there with her arms crossed, looking like an immovable object. It was more than obvious that changing her mind at this point would be near impossible.

“I am only here to give you advice and help you however I can. In the end, it’s your choice to make.” He leaned back in his chair, having said his piece.

Jillian wasn’t exactly thrilled with the advice he gave her. How could he say that she should break up with the only guy who seemed to actually care about her? She had to bite her tongue to resist telling him to fuck off. But instead, she took a deep, calming breath.

“Thanks, Steven. But I think I’ll pass on that suggestion,” she said, using his first name. “I haven’t felt this happy in what feels like forever, and I’m not ready to let go. I don’t know if I ever will be. Even if things don’t work out between us, and I know that is a good possibility and I will have no one to blame but myself, but I will still cherish every single one of these moments.”

At least, she hoped she would.

Dr. Trent let out a sigh and nodded, fully expecting her response.

“Figured you’d say that. Well, we’ve still got some time. Why don’t you tell me about these arguments you’ve been having, and I’ll offer whatever advice I can muster? I’m not a couples’ therapist, but I’ll do what I can.”

He smiled gently, still eager to lend a hand. Jillian smiled back and sat back down, happy he was willing to support her, even if he didn’t quite agree with the relationship.

An hour later, Jason, Katia, Jillian, and June hopped into his rental car and headed to the farmer’s market. Ginny had to stay back to take care of Lonnie, who was feeling under the weather, but she insisted they go and enjoy themselves. Though she obviously felt a bit bummed, she couldn’t meet the guy who had been crushing on her bestie. Jillian chose to sit in the back with her sis, leaving the front seat for Katia.

“So, Katia, I heard you’ve got a not-so-secret admirer,” Jillian teased Jason’s mom, who couldn’t help but let out a little giggle.

“Oh, come on. He just asked me to come by to visit, and he wants me to have some of his homegrown produce,” Katia chuckled, though her flushed cheeks hinted otherwise. The other girls in the car giggled along, but Jason didn’t seem amused.

“Really? I bet he’s got some impressive eggplants you can have,” she teased. Though Katia didn’t catch the innuendo, the others did, causing Jason to tighten his grip on the steering wheel.

“Cut it out, please, Jill,” he pleaded, while she just laughed and reached up to give his arm a comforting squeeze.

“I know babe, I’m just messing around. Sorry,” she reassured him before settling back into her seat.

As they rolled into the parking lot next to the farmer’s market, the group hopped out of the car. Jillian linked arms with June, then reached for Jason’s hand, intertwining their fingers. She shot him a smile and puckered her glossy pink lips playfully, signaling for a kiss. He gladly obliged, leaning down to meet her lips. With that sweet moment out of the way, the four of them strolled into the bustling market. There was a vibrant array of stalls selling all sorts of goods, from fresh produce to homemade treats. June spotted several vendors selling flowers, which interested her the most.

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“We can check out everything else later, but first, let’s swing by Dr. Feel Good’s stall,” Jillian quipped, earning a groan from Jason. She enjoyed teasing him, but wanted to make sure she didn’t overdo it.

Her therapist’s words lingered in her mind: “Long-distance relationships often don’t last, especially with past tension.” She refused to accept that. They would overcome their past and emerge stronger. Determined not to give up easily, she pulled Jason’s hand to her lips and planted a kiss on the back, smiling up at him. He looked a little confused but smiled back.

Approaching the stall, Jason noticed the doctor standing behind the counter, though he wasn’t wearing his usual white coat, obviously. Instead, he had on a pair of thin-framed glasses and a collared white button-up paired with some work pants that had soil stains all over them. Beside him was a teenage girl who seemed a bit older than June. She had a much darker complexion than Chris and wore her long black hair braided at the back. Her top was a stylish halter top that wrapped around her small chest, and showed off her midriff. It seemed a bit much for a teenager, but it was a warmer day, so most people were dressed lightly. She looked completely and utterly bored as she lounged against the counter, staring at her phone and lazily chewing gum. Pitch black lipstick coated her lips.

As they headed to the stall, Dr. Christopher Lee spotted the approaching group. His grin lit up his face, gleaming like a string of pearls.

“Katia! Jason! Glad you could make it.”

He grinned at the two then glanced at the two redheads, and the intertwined hands of one of them and, Jason.

“Chris, thank you so much for inviting us. We’ve been taking your advice on eating healthier as well,” Katia said, beaming. “Oh, and this is Jillian, Jason’s girlfriend, and June, her sister. They wanted to check out the market too,” she added, introducing the new faces to Chris.

Chris gave them a friendly nod, then put his hand on the shoulder of the teenage girl next to him. He introduced himself to Jillian and June.

“Nice to meet you both. I’m Christopher Lee, and this is my daughter, Kelsea.”

Katia let out a small gasp as she looked at Kelsea.

“Chris, I didn’t know you had a daughter! It’s so great to meet you, Kelsea,” she said with a beaming smile, extending her hand. Kelsea frowned at the gesture, but her dad nudged her to be polite. With a sigh, she reluctantly reached out and shook Katia’s hand briefly before pulling away. Chris’s expression showed he was sorry for his daughter’s behavior. Katia just smiled back, unfazed by the typical teenage behavior.

“Anyway, I’ve got a special basket of produce just for you,” Chris said with a grin, stepping back to grab a big basket filled with all sorts of colorful vegetables and a few citrus fruits.

His whole stall was packed with similar baskets, but this one seemed extra vibrant and filled to capacity. Katia’s eyes lit up as she checked out the basket.

“Oh my goodness, Chris. These look incredible! Did you really grow all of these yourself?” she asked, amazed, holding up a rather girthy cucumber. Jillian couldn’t help but snicker, earning a playful glare from Jason, which she promptly responded to by whispering to him, standing on her tippy toes, “I think yours is still bigger.”

Jason’s face suddenly flushed, and he glared down at Jillian with wide eyes. She struggled to contain her laughter at his reaction.

Katia and Chris started chatting away while the rest of the group checked out the surroundings.

“Hey mom, we’re gonna go explore for a bit,” Jason told his mother before turning to Chris. “Dr. Lee,” he said, his tone rather cold.

Chris just chuckled, too happy to be put off by the man. “Come now, Jason, just call me Chris outside of work.”

Jason’s eye twitched a little, but Katia shot him a glare, and he sighed in defeat.

“Okay, Chris,” he said through gritted teeth. “Well, we’re gonna go look around for a bit, alright, Mom? We will meet you back here in a bit if that works for you?”

It pained him to leave his mother alone with this man, but there was nothing he could really do.

“Sure thing, sweetie. Have fun!” She waved as the others walked off.

Chris turned to his daughter. “Hey, if you want to go explore, too, Kels, I can handle things here.”

Kelsea wasted no time in leaving her spot behind the counter and walking away without a word.

Chris let out a sigh, “Sorry about her, Katia. She’s been in a mood lately.” He seemed a bit stressed as he spoke. Katia waved it off.

“It's perfectly fine, Chris. Teenagers will be teenagers. If you ever need an extra hand or anything, just let me know. I don’t mind at all. You’ve already done so much for my son, so I’d love to return the favor,” she smiled warmly at him. With a strained smile, the doctor ran his hand through his jet black hair, a bit unsure of how to express himself.

“Um, well…” He paused, seeming a bit hesitant to fully open up. “I actually could use an outside perspective, but if it feels too personal, please don’t feel pressured to answer. I don’t want to put you on the spot.”

Katia reached out, resting her hand on his briefly.

“Take your time,” she reassured him. He glanced at her hand, then back at her, his smile softening.

“Thanks. Honestly, my daughter, she’s a lot like her mom, for better or worse,” he confessed, briefly looking away again. There was a brief pause before Katia finally mustered the courage to ask the burning question.

“Is her mom still in the picture?”

It was a hard question, but one that needed an answer. Chris shook his head slowly.

“No, she’s not around. She’s in jail.”

Katia gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Oh no, what happened?… I-if you don’t mind me asking.” The question slipped out almost instinctively. Chris let out a sigh.

“She got caught stealing drugs from the hospital where I work. She used me as an excuse to visit frequently, and steal medication...”

He wasn’t sure why he was telling Katia all this, but the burning need to get it off his chest wouldn’t let him keep it to himself. Though he was still holding back some details.

“That’s awful, Chris. I’m really sorry to hear that. Not even just the fact she stole medicine but used you to do it,” Katia said with genuine sympathy, not showing any signs she would flee from his baggage.

“Thank you Katia… I truly appreciate that. I was under suspicion for a long time and almost lost my license from it,” Chris said before taking a deep breath and letting it out in a heavy sigh.

“I…I found Kelsea smoking weed a few weeks back... and I didn’t react in the best way. Things have been pretty tense since then. I’ve been trying to talk to her, but she barely talks to me anymore. I practically have to drag her along with me here. We used to enjoy spending time doing this together, but now it feels like she’s just given up,” Chris explained, his gaze burning a hole into the wood of the stall’s counter he was leaning on. He seemed really desperate for a solution.

“That sounds awful, I’m sorry to hear that. I can’t say I’ve been in your exact shoes, but maybe try talking to her on your way home? Just be honest about how you were feeling when you got mad at her. Tell her about how you are afraid it might lead to worse things. I would just try and be open with her and try not to make her feel any worse than she might already feel. I bet she is upset about it as well,” Katia suggested with a gentle smile. Chris nodded, grateful.

“Thanks, I’ll give that a shot. I’m just so scared that she will end up like her mom,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair again.

“I am sorry for unloading all this on you even though we just met. I am sure you are ready to run for the hills, haha,” he laughed in his self-deprecation, but Katia placed her hand over his and gave it a firm squeeze.

“It's okay, Chris.” His eyes shot up to Katia as she spoke. Seeing her sweet, gentle smile made his heart race. “I can see that you care a lot for your daughter, and I don’t mind listening. I’m happy to help you in any way I can.”

Katia’s words were just as sweet as her smile and Chris struggled to maintain eye contact. His gaze dropped a bit to the hand she was holding, and he noticed the indent on her ring finger that looked like a ring had been sitting there for years. He was going to say something stupid if he didn’t change the subject.

“Ahem, so how’ve you and Jason been?” he asked, clearing his throat before looking back up at her.

The three strolled through the farmer’s market, pausing every now and then to check out different stalls. They bought a few packs of small homemade cookies to snack on as they continued exploring. Jason wasn’t all that interested in the market, so he was kind of just on auto pilot, with Jill’s arm wrapped around his. This went on for about twenty minutes until they were walking down one of the last aisles. Jillian was enjoying the second-to-last cookie, and turned around to offer the last of hers to June, only to find her sister missing.

“June?” she called out, hoping for a playful response, but there was no response. A cold sweat ran down the back of her neck. Jason got a few steps ahead before suddenly realizing he was on his own.

He turned around and saw Jillian just standing there, casually holding a cookie in one hand. He quickly noticed that June was nowhere to be seen. Walking up to Jillian, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey, where’s June?” he asked, curious. It didn’t seem like June to wander off alone.

“I don’t know. It's not like her to wander off.”

Jillian tossed the cookie and bag into a nearby trash can and pulled out her phone, sending several texts to her little sister.

Jillian: June, where did you go? Why’d you just take off without a word?

Jillian: Please answer! I’m already getting worried!

Jillian: This isn’t funny, June!

It took a few moments, but when a response finally came through, it wasn’t what she expected. Actually, it was the last thing Jillian wanted to see. A picture popped up of June standing at a flower stall, followed by a message.

June: Wow, your little sis is quite the cutie. Almost as pretty as you, Chica. Maybe I’ll make her my new project, just like I did with you. Raise and train her to be a more obedient pet than you were.

Jillian’s heart beat in her chest like never before, like it was about to bust through her chest. There was no mistaking it. She knew exactly who it was, even through text. Only one person ever called her Chica. Jason saw her trembling and struggling to breathe.

“Jill?… What's wrong?… Jill, come on, speak to me,” he urged, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She gasped for air at his touch, hands shaking violently as she clutched her phone. He found her, and now he had her little sister. Her fingers barely managed to type on the phone screen as they trembled.

Jillian: Luis, if you lay a finger on her, you’ll wish you were never born.

June: Haha, ooo, I’m shaking in my boots over here. At least you’re still as fiery as ever, Chica. Your sister is not in danger for now.

Jillian: What do you want, you fucking son of a bitch!

June: You know exactly what I want. If you want your sister to stay safe, you’ll do what I say.

Tears started rolling down Jillian’s cheeks, a mix of anger and panic flooding her emotions. Jason, frustrated by her silence, glanced over her shoulder and read the messages.

“What the fuck is that?!” he exclaimed, turning her to face him and gently holding her face. “Jillian, talk to me. Who’s that texting on June’s phone?”

She stared back at him, her eyes hollow. As the phone buzzed with another message, she pulled away to read it.

June: Come to the construction site on 328 Northpoint Way in 20 minutes or less. No cops, no one else. Just you and that pretty face of yours. Keep it between us, and no one else has to get hurt.

June: Chop-chop, time’s ticking, Chica!

Jillian looked at Jason, tears streaming down her face. “I’m sorry, I have to leave. Please, just…”

She wanted to promise she would be back, but she couldn’t be sure if it was one she could keep. Instead, Jillian wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a quick, intense kiss. She broke away and, without warning, dashed off, leaving Jason bewildered.

“Wait, what?… What is happening?!” His mind raced as he tried to make sense of it all. He called out for Jillian, but she had disappeared into the crowd.

“Jill!” he shouted, feeling the panic inside him rise. He tried to follow her, but she had purposely ducked between stalls he couldn't to hide her retreat.

“What the fuck? Where did she go?” he scanned the area frantically.

Jason pulled out his phone and called Jillian, but each time he tried, he got a busy signal. After several attempts, he couldn’t even get through anymore. She had straight-up blocked him. He stared at his phone, feeling like it had just sucker-punched him. Something very wrong was definitely going on, and he wasn’t about to let it slide. He shot his mom a quick text, telling her they were heading home for a bit and would be back shortly. There was no need to stress her out. He’d handle it himself, as he always did. He dashed to his car, hopped in, and peeled out of the parking lot, heading back home as fast as possible.

When Jason got home, he dashed out of the car and hurried inside. He made a beeline for his mom’s room. There, he removed a painting to reveal a hidden safe. Using his birthdate as the combo, it popped it open. Inside, there were several stacks of cash and a colt M1911 handgun with two loaded magazines. The same kind as his father’s old side arm when he was in the military. He took the gun, and checked to ensure it was loaded and the safety was on, then tucked it into the back of his pants, covering it with his shirt. He also grabbed the extra magazines, closed the safe, and dashed back out of the house. He wasn’t sure where he was headed or what was waiting for him, but he wanted to be prepared for anything.