"If it's not orange juice, no," I admitted. "I'm tired of water."
"The water tastes nasty here," he commented and stuck out his tongue. "Never seen such a bland hospital. I thought I'd go insane from staring out the window for so long."
"You were staring out the window, too?" I whispered.
He noticed my change in demeanor and he reached out to gently stroke my cheek. "I was seeing the same boring view as you, Blazing Queen."
"It's my fault you had to be stuck here," I whispered. "I missed you."
He crouched down and gently directed my face so that I had no choice but to look at him.
"Hey," he softly stated as our eyes locked on one another. "I missed you, too, and it's not your fault at all. I was injured due to the first impact with the suspect."
"What about the burns?" I wished to look away, but he lifted his other hand to cradle my cheeks. “Healed upon arrival at the emergency department. It was before we were transferred over here, and before you ask, Gabriel and Keru are also fine. We're all good and healthy."
He moved up then until he could lay a simple kiss to my lips.
"Are you okay?"
The way he genuinely asked brought tears to my eyes, and we shared a sad look before he whispered, "Shuffle over."
I did what I was asked, moving to make space for him as he took off his shoes, dimmed the lights a bit, and slipped into the hospital bed. He then had me in his arms, avoiding touching my wrists as he hugged me against him.
"We don't need explanations. If you just want to cry it all out, you can now. No one can see you in this position. Just you, me, and sleeping Cyrus."
"Am I allowed to cry?" The question was so stupid and yet I feared to get in trouble for shedding a single tear in this place. I wanted to go home but I knew that was no longer an option.
The very haunted mansion that I despised was now off-limits because of the investigation, and if Grandfather didn't want to remain there, it would be sold or demolished for the better.
"In my arms, Alice, you're allowed to cry as much as you want," Westley quietly comforted. "Shed every tear and let your agony be soothed in my loving arms. You'll feel better afterward. I promise."
"Then what will we do?" I whispered. "Will you leave?"
"No. I'll stay with you," he assured me. "Then we'll just peer through the same window until we fall asleep. Seems like a good way to spend a comforting date, don't you think?"
"A date in a mental institution," I sobbed, tears running down my cheeks as I looked up at him. His softened eyes showed his slight exhaustion, but his lips were wide with a glimmering smile.
"There's a first time for everything, right?" he offered.
"Ya." It was all I could say as I let my head nestle against his chest and allowed myself to cry. This was what I'd desperately needed all week. To shed tears of anguish and desolation while being in the arms of someone I loved.
I cried and cried until the tears were all dry. As the silence carried through the room, Westley kept his word. No other words were exchanged as we stared through the same window - our minds thinking afar but our hearts beating as one.
A privilege many didn't have the chance of experiencing anymore.
This was my time to mourn, and I'd leave the decision-making for when my heart didn't ache every second and my mind wasn't lost in negative banter.
The minutes went by until my eyes grew heavy and I allowed them to close while in the comfort of Westley's arms.
The beginning of a path of recovery.
Therapy With Cloverspell
"Are these rooms meant to look...well, pretty?"
I stared around the vibrant yet calming room as I settled into the long reclining chair. The color was a soft maroon pink, which added to the colorful artwork on the walls and the white-and-maroon theme of the furniture.
CloverSpell sat comfortably in her chair, crossing one leg to rest on the other while she put her clipboard to the side.
"I'm not sure," she admitted. "I was surprised Gabriel's house had a room specifically for therapy work, but then again, Angelic Owls sometimes need therapy during their youth years."
"They do?" I inquired and allowed myself to relax against the velvet surface while my eyes stared up at the plain white ceiling.
"Angelic Owls are creatures with immense wisdom and angel qualities. A hybrid of information and holy power. They're powerful individuals, but too much knowledge can be troubling, especially when you find out truths you wouldn't want to learn about."
I could imagine that, discovering what you never expected or finding out that the world was far darker than one would believe.
"It's recommended they do therapy and lots of meditation to aid in calming their mind so it doesn't become overwhelmed, especially during their youth years, but I wouldn't expect Gabriel to have a room for such."
"Glad he does," I admitted quietly before turning my attention to the woman across from me. She was wearing another long, glamorous dress of gold that shifted to the very maroon color of the chair I was lying on, meeting my intrigued gaze.
The sparkling transition was unique and balanced to emphasize the dress’ beauty while her curly hair was up in a ponytail. Her antlers were out, and she wore a pair of glasses as if she needed them for this session.
"Do you need glasses?" I ended up asking.
"Only during sessions like these," she confessed. "Or intense meetings. Reindeer sometimes have problems focusing on one object for too long unless they're in fight-or-flight mode. The glasses ensure I can concentrate while having perfect vision."
"Intriguing," I replied. "Do I have an animal quality?"
"You do," she revealed. "Though, neither of us know what it may be just yet. It could possibly be a wolf due to Cyrus, but we're not sure."
"Everyone has an animal trait?" I inquired.
"They should," she revealed. “You've noticed all three of your men have their unique animal traits. Gabriel is an Angelic Owl, Keru a Hellhound Warlock, and Westley an Elemental Peacock Magician. What we can do is try to figure out your specific quality when school is in session. It'll be easier to spot when you're using more magic."
"There are no clues with being a Hot Blazing Witch?" I suggested.
"Sadly, no. Those powerful beings are able to perform a magnitude of spells and there wasn't a concrete animal or familiar used by those unique individuals in history. It's something still being researched, but that type of information is discovered in ancient books that aren't very easy to gain knowledge from."
"Ah," I replied. "Guess I'll find out sooner or later."
CloverSpell smiled before she encouraged me to take a few breaths. She then rose up and began setting things in a certain way before she lit up a stick that delivered a unique aroma that drifted through the room.
"For this session, we can discuss anything that's troubling your mind. Our titles, responsibilities, roles in the current present don't matter. What does matter is that you're here with me, Autumn, and I'm here to listen and answer anything that comes to your mind."