Chapter 10 - The Unseen Wounds
Though the locks were changed and the restraining order was filed, the psychological aftermath of the break-in lingered. A sudden knock at the door would cause Sarah’s breath to catch. A dropped plate in the kitchen would make Ryan’s heart hammer against his ribs, throwing him back to that rainy afternoon.
Realizing that sheer willpower wasn’t enough to process the trauma, they decided to seek couples therapy.
Their therapist, a gentle, perceptive man named Dr. Evans, helped them navigate the complex web of emotions they were untangling. For Sarah, it was about rebuilding her sense of safety and shedding the shame Eleanor had tried to force upon her regarding her postpartum depression.
For Ryan, the sessions focused on the crushing guilt of having struck his mother.
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"You are judging a split-second protective instinct through the lens of a calm, rational mind," Dr. Evans told Ryan one Tuesday evening. "You used violence to stop violence, not to inflict cruelty. There is a profound difference. You have to forgive yourself for being human, Ryan."
It wasn't an overnight fix, but the therapy gave them the tools to communicate their anxieties without judgment. They learned to lean on each other during the dark moments, slowly patching the invisible cracks Eleanor had left behind.
