Chapter 8

She had been sleeping on a box - typical homeless person, but she did it far away from the public eye so everyone else wasn't as painfully aware of being homeless as Sara was. A dog came up to her - it looked quite familiar, probably the one she had shooed away earlier. The scraggly mutt nudged her head, looking for scratches.

"Go away, dumb dog." Was Sara's reply, as she moved her hand from the dog. The dog did not listen to her protests and curled up right beside her, where the dog stayed for the rest of the night and for the rest of the year.

"Damn dog."

~*~*~*~

"Sara?"

"Sorry, what?"

"I asked you if you're ready to see your family?"

"If I have to."

"It's an issue that should be resolved."

"I'm aware of that, Ethan. I'm just concerned - trust me I've tried to convince them that I'm fine without being straight. I think it's a deep seated issue and its not going to be fixed, Doc."

"But that doesn't mean we can't try Sara. If you really don't want them here just tell me."

"I don't want them here. If they want to work out their issues, fine, let them do that. But they can do that on their own. They lost their right to me as their daughter when they kicked me out of their house."

"So you are angry at them for kicking you out?"

"Who wouldn't be?"

"Very true. Now that we have good conversation going, I want you to be completely honest with me when I ask you this."

"Okay."

"How are you really feeling?"

"Honestly, Doc. I feel much better. Sure a bit of melancholy, but nowhere near what it was before. There are times when I've been really happy and then it slowly lets down, if you know what I mean? It's not like as crazy as a mood swing, just like a regular mood change."

"And what would be making you happy?"

"It has something to do with the girl that was sneaking into my room."

"She makes you happy?"

"Yes. We are just so different - yet really similar at the same time if that makes sense. Is she banned totally from visiting me?"

"I can make it so that she is no longer banned. But there is one thing though. It's dangerous to rely on someone else for your happiness. You have to learn how to happy by yourself."

"Ah, so every romance novel ever is wrong then?"

"Yes every romance novel ever is wrong. Although it is a rather romantic notion to rely on someone else for your happiness, it is absolutely horrible for your mental health. We are trying to help, not hurt your mental health."

"I understand."

"You relied on Lou as support and for happiness."

"And that worked out really well for me."

Ethan wrote something down on his paper. On the wall was a picture of Ethan with a woman and a child - Sara assumed that was his child and his wife. Wasn't that just wonderful for him - he had all these idealistic notions about her and how she would deal with her problems yet he had no idea what it was like to be her.

"Can I be released? My mental health is good - much better. I promise not to rely on Sophie for happiness like all romance novels do because that has its place in fiction not reality."

Ethan paused and played for his pen for a moment. Sara knew the answer before he said it - no.

"I think you should stay here for another day or two, just in case."