Chapter 14 - Couples Therapy
Wesley and I began after eight weeks.
Our therapist was Dr. Simone Keller.
First session.
She asked:
“What do each of you believe the central injury is?”
I said:
“He knew.”
Wesley said:
“I froze.”
Different.
Dr. Keller:
“Nora, what did he know?”
“That his mother planned something humiliating involving a collar for me.”
Wesley:
“Yes.”
“And what did he not know?”
“That June had one too.”
Important.
Then Wesley:
“I thought Mom canceled.”
“Why?”
“She stopped mentioning it.”
Dr. Keller looked at him.
“That is evidence of silence, not cancellation.”
There.
He nodded.
Then:
“I was afraid if I warned Nora and nothing happened, I’d create a fight for no reason.”
I laughed.
“What is a reason?”
He looked at me.
“Your dignity should’ve been reason.”
There.
Progress.
Not because therapist fed line.
Because he had finally stopped defining harm only by visible crisis.
If Margaret had only produced adult collar and never touched June, Wesley still should have told me.
I deserved choice about entering room where guests planned to laugh at me.
May you like
That was the deeper consent violation.
────────────────────
