The Family Secret

by Daniele Botti

  He was exceptionally pleased to see his patient making so much progress in such a short amount of time. When they were doing their in-dream sessions, he preferred to think of her less as a patient and more as a friend. He had been theorizing about much of this stuff for a long, long time, and he was happy to finally find a patient with whom he could truly explore his theories.

  Doctor Sanchez had graduated from Harvard University, Valedictorian of his class in the field of Psychology. To pay for his student loans, he had worked for a pharmaceutical company in Newark. He started off on a team researching and developing new drugs to help with anxiety, depression, and psychosis, but it wasn’t long until he had been promoted and was the lead on his research team. He studied the effects of medications on patients for a few years but found that he preferred to treat the actual patient rather than the symptoms. He left the company he was working for and began a practice in Jersey City.

  As he began to develop a history with his patients, he also began to understand the subconscious link between their nightmares and their behaviors, causing him to research these ideas much more extensively. He understood that hypnosis was the way to unlock the psyche of the subconscious mind, and soon began to find the answers he was seeking.

  He had always hoped to find a patient who had premonition style nightmares and was very curious about where his therapy could lead with that. After many years of successfully treating his patients in Jersey City, he felt he needed a change of scenery and any new challenges it may pose. Doctor Sanchez moved his practice to Manhattan in hope of gaining new grounds in his field.

  He reestablished his office in The Millwork Building and put out a few feelers, and as luck would have it, an old classmate of his worked as a counselor for several high-class families in New York City. Jose had contacted his old friend and had asked him to do him a solid by passing on the patients he couldn’t help himself. It wasn’t long before Paula had surfaced, and the seed had been planted. In just a few short sessions, Paula had exceeded his expectations by more than a country mile. Her progress was nothing short of astounding to him.

  At the top of the fire escape, Paula squeezed her eyes shut as if she was willing herself to fly. Instinctively, her arms raised themselves up and extended out to her sides, where they hung loosely for a moment. A gentle breeze rushed into the alley which caught Paula’s hair and clothing, blowing and rippling them. A look of intense concentration crossed her face, then it suddenly relaxed as her toes lifted from the steel grating. Her body floated six feet over and beyond the edge of the fire escape, and when she opened her eyes, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

  “Doctor Sanchez, look!” Paula cried out, tears of joy filling her eyes. “I’m flying! Look at me, I’m flying!”

  Doctor Sanchez couldn’t have been prouder of her at that very moment, “Yes Miss Lindsay, that you are.”

  Paula flew off with an incredible burst of speed, twisting and turning as she glided on the breeze. She flew up from Hell’s Kitchen, high into the sky until she could see the Jersey Shore on the other side of the Hudson River. She aimed herself toward her home and it wasn’t long until she was flying through her neighborhood, in the heart of the city. She streaked above the houses. Paula felt her soft spot for Doctor Sanchez growing even more. He was truly a compassionate human being, and she felt very fortunate to know him.

  She then flew up and away from her house and down near the main street off the interstate where The Millwork Building was located. She levitated in front of the window at the end of the corridor long enough to see her aunt sitting there waiting patiently for her to finish her session. Realizing that she was short on time left for this session, Paula decided that she had better return to the alley in Hell’s Kitchen to finish her session for today. She was almost certain that there would be more to what she was supposed to learn than flying around Manhattan.

  When Paula arrived back in the alley, she found Doctor Sanchez there, patiently waiting for her to return, a smile of satisfaction spread across his face. She levitated at the end of the alley, as if she were a superhero, waiting to leap into action. Suddenly her Osprey Vision snapped into focus and revealed a drunken transient, passed out under a large pile of industrial paper and cardboard. As her vision reached the man, it snapped to the other end of the alley, where a very large garbage truck was approaching at a high rate speed. Realizing the danger, Paula sprang into action without a second thought, flying down in a desperate attempt to reach the sleeping bum before the truck ran over him, likely killing him, unbeknownst to the driver. Realizing there was no way she was going to reach the truck in time, she closed her eyes, focusing on the truck itself, not thinking, just acting.

  The garbage truck came to a dead halt, just short of crushing the transient to the astonishment of the driver. Smoke billowed out from under the hood. The driver got out of his truck to investigate what might have caused the problem. A few obvious curse words escaped his lips as he climbed down out of the driver’s seat, and his boots landed on the asphalt with a dull thud. When he opened the hood of the truck, he was not prepared for what he saw. The entire internal workings of the vehicle had been fused together into one metal sphere; all its components mashed together – engine, transmission, driveline and all. The garbage truck driver spewed out a long string of profanities at seeing this, thinking that he was going to get fired. The noise of the driver caused the homeless man to wake up. He crawled out from underneath the paper and cardboard, looking to see what all the commotion was about. When the driver spotted him and realized what had just happened, he dropped to his knees and began to pray; asking for forgiveness, having witnessed what he could only classify as divine intervention.

  Paula drifted over to where Doctor Sanchez was standing and hovered just off the ground next to him. All this while she was giving Doctor Sanchez updates on events as they happened. When she explained how she stopped the truck, he realized that not only was she gifted, but she had also now learned to take better control of a situation when the need was present.

  “You saved that transient... How did you know he was under all of that debris?”

  “My Osprey Vision alerted me to his presence,” Paula replied not quite believing it herself. “I knew I couldn’t let him be killed.”

  Paula then positioned herself directly in front of Doctor Sanchez to address him directly, “I’m tired of the accidents. I’m sick of the suffering. But most of all, I don’t want to see any more of this. I’ve seen too much death, much more than anybody should have to. I’ve felt the pain and the loss of loved ones, and I don’t want to bear that burden anymore. From now on, if I can save a life, I will choose to. Be it in my dreams or in reality.”

  Doctor Sanchez didn’t know where this sudden change in Paula came from, but he was looking on her with new-found respect. If he didn’t know any better, it would certainly appear that the two of them created a superhero, one with the infinite power to do anything she wanted. For the first time, he didn’t know whether to be encouraging or worried. But what he did know was that he absolutely commended her decision to save lives.

  “That is a great decision, Miss Lindsay,” he said to her, realizing that his therapy with her had taken a turn into some very uncharted waters.

  7.

  Romantic Sparks Between a

  Therapist and His Patient

  Entering Doctor Sanchez’s office, Paula saw him still standing where Megan had left him, internally fuming over her decision to terminate Paula’s sessions. The first thing Paula noticed was that the light was significantly dimmer than it usually was, and that Doctor Sanchez had a long and sorrowful face, maybe a look of disappointment.

  He was quick to address Paula, his voice tense, “You said you’d like today to be your final session. Why?”

  Paula moved to take a seat in the same chair that her aunt had been sitting only minutes before. “With your help, I’ve been able t
o find solace away from the demons that haunted my dreams. You’ve shown me how to navigate through my nightmares and turn them into a paradise. You’ve done a lot for me and I appreciate it a lot.”

  Jose Sanchez’s initial cold demeanor warmed up a bit as he nodded in agreement. “We’ve come a long way together and it’s been great helping you relieve some of your pains. However, you still haven’t given me a reason yet for canceling the sessions.”

  “I’d just like to take a break from the sessions for a while to explore things on my own. You’ve really helped me doctor and we could always continue the sessions later,” Paula paused for a moment. Then she added, “Also, Aunt Megan has become more worried and agitated as our meetings have gone on. I have to give her peace of mind for a while.”

  The doctor cocked his head slightly as he pondered. He heaved a sigh and conceded, “Alright. In truth, you’ve made a lot of progress and I believe you can handle things on your own. I’ll have to keep a tab on you though.”

  Paula stood up and walked up to her therapist. She grabbed his arm affectionately and retorted, “Thank you for everything Jose. I really appreciate your help.”

  Doctor Sanchez smiled at hearing Paula refer to him by his first name. Something about the way she said it sounded sexy to him.

  “You’re welcome.”

  She was still holding his hand. He suddenly felt the urge to give her a hug, which was against both his personal and professional code of conduct. Jose had delved directly into unfamiliar terrains with Paula, and after journeying through her psychic with her, he was bound to feel a deep connection. This was no ordinary patient. “Just this once, I’ll let the code slide,” Jose Sanchez told himself as he pulled Paula closer and held her in a tight embrace. Her jasmine perfume wafted up to his nose and he breathed it in slowly. The scent sent butterflies fluttering around in his belly.

  Paula was surprised by the doctor’s gesture when he had pulled her into his arms. However, as their bodies touched, she felt none of the awkwardness that usually descended in this sort of situations. She wrapped her arms around Jose and pulled him in closer. As she did, her head rested on his bulging chest beneath his coat; it was comforting. Closing her eyes for a second, she felt a complete sense of peace.

  After what had seemed like hours, they finally let go of each other. Paula took a pace backward and stared into Jose’s brown eyes. The doctor stood nearly a good foot taller than her. She had the urge to hold him again but told herself it would be inappropriate. Instead of throwing herself at him, she teased, “Hmm… Nice. Is that how you make your patients keep on coming back?”

  Doctor Sanchez laughed and shook his head. “No, that has never happened before. It was a slip on my part,” he confessed.

  Paula nodded as if she understood. “That was a good slip, though. It was quite comforting.”

  “You’re welcome, I guess,” Doctor Sanchez blurted.

  They both laughed out nervously. Paula looked into Jose’s eyes once again and his brown eyes seemed like they were beckoning her to come closer, inviting her to take a magical trip into them. The Italian doctor was a handsome man.

  As the laughter died down and silence ensued, awkwardness began to creep into the room. Sensing this, Paula felt it was time to go. “Megan’s waiting for me. I have to leave now,” she said, hoping he would make a gesture for her to stay a little longer. He didn’t.

  “Oh, okay… I get that,” Doctor Sanchez said as he shook his head, obviously disoriented as if he was just stepping out of a trance and back into reality. “Goodbye Paula,” he said, mentally smacking his face.

  Those weren’t the words she had hoped he would utter. Dejected and disappointed, she returned, “Bye Jose.”

  She turned around and started to leave, taking each step slowly in the hope that he would call out to her; he didn’t. She immediately hated herself for having such hopes. As she got to the door and turned the handle, a low voice called from behind her. She swirled to face the voice in an instant.

  “You called me?” she queried, her eyes wide with anticipation. She wasn’t sure whether he had truly called her name, or it was her imaginations playing some weird tricks on her.

  “Yes, I did,” Doctor Sanchez said. Maintaining eye contact with her, he added, “You see, I was wondering if we could just enjoy each other’s company sometime.”

  Paula’s heart did a quick backflip. She nearly gasped in excitement as she queried, “Oh, related to the therapy sessions, right?”

  “No, it’s unrelated.” Jose paused momentarily then added, “I know this may seem too soon or unethical, but I want you to go on a date with me. Maybe we could grab a drink together or dinner.”

  Paula Lindsay stared blankly at him, unable to respond, as her brain processed what he’d just said. Sensing her hesitation, Jose reasoned, “I know you’re a very busy lady; I’ll totally understand if you can’t make it.”

  This jolted Paula’s brain as she quickly exclaimed, “No, no, no, a date is fine. Dinner is a good idea, Doctor Sanchez.”

  Flabbergasted, the doctor instantly suggested, “Call me Jose.”

  “Jo-Se,” Paula said, drawing out each syllable. “Fine then, Jose, but I really have to go now.”

  “Sure, I understand. I’ll call you.”

  “Alright. I’ll see you. Bye.”

  She smiled coyly to herself as she left. Walking back to the waiting area, she had a new pep in her steps.

  8.

  A Taste of Forbidden Pleasure

  Jose glanced over at Paula taking his time to enjoy her astounding beauty. Looking at her sitting in his car brought him more pleasure than he’d imagined. A smile graced his face as he pushed the ignition button. Hardly wearing any makeup, the even tone of Paula’s facial skin glowed. Her lips looked plumper from the gloss lipstick she was wearing. Dark brown hair grazed her shoulders slightly covering the silver loop earrings which dangled from her ears. “She’s mine tonight,” he thought, backing out of the driveway.

  Paula caught him smiling at her and nervously smiled back at him, “Thanks for the roses. They were beautiful.”

  “Beautiful roses for a beautiful woman,” he whispered.

  Paula blushed, “Thank you.”

  “About tonight, how about we put everything that has occurred at my office aside and we enjoy the night like we’re newly acquainted.”

  “That’s a solid idea. I must confess, I have already eaten,” she met his gaze with a cheeky smile. “How about we scrap dinner and do something more exciting, something a bit wild.”

  Jose picked up her hand and kissed it gently, “My new friend, strap in for a very wild night out. As wild as a doctor could be outdoors anyway.”

  Paula chuckled both because of what he said and because his kiss made her nervous and shy. “You look like you’ve got some rebellious spirit in you. I bet you have a lot of female friends.”

  “Just a bit and yes, I do; but none are as special as you.”

  Her right brow arched as if she didn’t believe him, “That’s such a sweet thing to say to someone you just met.”

  “Maybe. Or maybe I felt an undeniable connection with you at first sight.”

  Paula was blushing heavily now, “Maybe Jose, just maybe.”

  Almost fifteen minutes later, Jose steered the Jaguar into the parking lot of an upscale club. His original plan was to take her to a nice restaurant, but since she’d already eaten, he’d decided to bring her here instead. He didn’t admit that he’d also eaten in case he’d been too overwhelmed by her presence to eat at dinner.

  Gazing into her eyes, a spark flew through him. He cut the engine. “Do you like dancing?”

  “I used to love dancing. I haven’t been out on a date or dancing in forever.”

  “Your prince charming never took you out?”

  “No. he was a real jerk. Could we not talk abou
t him please? I don’t want to leave a bad taste in my mouth for the fun I hope you have in store for me tonight,” Paula pleaded.

  He got the feeling that her ex had been a horrible person. To save the night, he declared, “Any man would be lucky to have you as his woman. Too bad the fool didn’t realize it.”

  “How can you say that when you barely know me?”

  “No, I’m not very familiar with that aspect of your life. But I’m a good people reader. My gut instinct tells me you’re something very special.” Something told him he was making a mess of things. Maybe I should shut the fuck up for the rest of the night, he thought. He knew the girl was at the top of the top-class and it was a miracle she had decided to go out on a date with him in the first place. Get a grip, Jose, he muttered under his breath. He looked back at Paula and his eyes met hers, instantly he longed to lean over and kiss her succulent lips. He decided it wasn’t the right time; that probably would have blown things up more than he had at that point.

  Rounding the car, he opened the door for her. As they made their way toward the entrance, he longed to hold her hand. Entering the club, they are met with a soft romantic ambiance. Dimmed lights glowed from the ceilings. Upbeat yet sensual music pumped the air. Spotting an empty table in the corner, he tugged her hand and led the way. Big on being at his best behavior, he pulled the chair from beneath the table.

  “Thanks,” she sat.

  He placed his chair directly beside hers, sat, then draped his arm across her shoulders. Crossing his legs at the knees, he reached for the drink menu. “I know you ate before you left, but feel free to order something to eat.”

  “No, thanks. I’m full.”

  “Don’t be shy, now. What would you like to drink?”

  She glanced at the drink menu, “I don’t know what I want. Order something for me.”