InSight

time.”
    “Yeah, but I’m not doing too well. It’s been over a year, and I’m still struggling.”
    “You’ll put it together. I didn’t do well at first, either, but I had other distracting issues.”
    Luke waited a moment before he spoke. “Tell me about them.”
    Abby shook her head. “ Oooh , no. I’m supposed to ask you the questions.” She pointed to herself and then to Luke.
    “I’ve already had my hour, but if you’d rather not, I understand.”
    Muffled conversations from nearby booths, mixed with the clanging of silverware and dishes filled the silence until she spoke.
    “I thought everyone knew the story. I heard the whole country tuned in as if it were some end-of-the-season television cliffhanger. Crazy ex-husband kills his daughter and blinds his ex-wife in a botched attempt to kill her, too. Then he kills himself.” She sipped her beer. “Fascinating stuff.”
    The cold fizz dulled the prickly warmth on her face. Abby swallowed hard. Mentioning Macy always brought her daughter’s image into her sphere of darkness. She forced herself to think of all the beautiful things she remembered, shrugging off those last moments before they burned like acid in her veins.
    In spite of her usual self-control, Abby’s eyes filled with tears, and she brushed her finger to her cheek to wipe one away. “It’s more complicated than my simplistic explanation, of course. My husband was very sick.”
    “I didn’t get everything you said, but I got enough. I vaguely remember the incident, but I didn’t put it all together until now. The articles written about you don’t mention it.”
    “I make sure they don’t. Am I speaking in the right direction and pronouncing clearly?”
    “It’s not anything you’re doing. In fact, you speak visually and use your hands for emphasis, so you’re easier to understand than most people.”
    She thought he picked up his beer and drank.
    “What happened next?” he asked.
    “I’d rather not talk about this.” She reached for her beer and tipped over the water glass. “Shit.” She dabbed her napkin onto the puddle. “I can’t believe I did that.”
    Luke rushed to her side of the booth. “It’s okay. Just a little spill. You were almost finished with it.”
    “Damn. I’m sorry.”
    He wiped the table and patted the splash of water on her lap. “It’s okay. No big deal.”
    She felt his hand cover hers. His touch was warm and gentle.
    “It’s okay,” he repeated. “It’s my fault. I upset you. I shouldn’t have pried. The next time we have dinner, I promise I won’t ask you any personal questions.”
    The next time? His hand still wrapped around hers, and a strange feeling rushed over her. She was enjoying her dinner with Luke McCallister. Even communicating with the occasional repetition, she found him easy to talk to. Too easy. The idea of another dinner appealed to her more than she wanted to admit. His touch awoke some dormant emotion.
    The waiter came over with more napkins. Luke moved back to his side of the table because he could read her better. Abby immediately missed the feel of him next to her. That problem hit her hard. She needed to get matters straight. “May I call you Luke?”
    “Only if I don’t have to call you Doctor Gallant.”
    “My mother and ex-mother-in-law call me Abigael, but everyone else calls me Abby.” She reached for the beer and lifted it to her lips, then patted the table for a clear place to put it down. She hoped she faced him, hoped he could read what she was going to say, because it was important. She spoke slowly and clearly.
    “Luke, I’ve made a terrible mistake. I’ve allowed our exchange to get personal. That diminishes my ability as a therapist. This is my fault, not yours. I’m sorry, but I need to recuse myself as your therapist.”
    He asked her to repeat and she did.
    “You’re serious?”
    “Yes. I could be called before the ethics committee for my unprofessional conduct.”
    “What if we maintain a purely professional relationship until our sessions are over?”
    She shook her head. “The ethics code applies for two years after termination. Some therapists have broken the rules and gotten away with it, but I won’t. There’s an excellent counselor in Greenville who specializes in psychology related to adjustments in the workplace. I’ll recommend him so you won’t lose your job.”
    “But you understand the adjustment in relationship to my—damn, I hate this word when it