After thoroughly inspecting the "wall" that had previously been a door, a door that I had walked through the day before, I needed to lay down. The tightness was building in my chest and I felt dizzy. I was going to have a panic attack. I needed my Klonapin prescription. I rushed to the bedroom and rifled through my bedside table until I found them. The same bottle, still somehow prescribed to me. I struggled with the cap. I felt his hand on my shoulder.
"Lay down. You're going to spill them everywhere. Let me help you."
His voice was soothing. He was speaking to me like I was a little girl; fatherly. My heart ached for it. I just wanted everything to make sense again. I crawled into bed and he handed me a pill and a bottle of water. He held the bottle still for me so I didn't spill it. He climbed in bed with me, staying on top of the covers: close, but not oppressive.
"I need you to tell me everything. I need to know when I got here, how, why. I need to know everything. I can handle it. I just need to understand."
He nodded, his face solemn. He came closer, his head almost touching mine, his mouth close to my ear. He spoke softly and evenly, lacing his words with sedatives, carefully watching my face and my reactions.
"I was your drug counselor. You had been coming to me for a while, and telling me about these... vile... things that your father was doing to you. I-- I know that I'm supposed to maintain a professional distance with these things, and I know that there are processes in place to follow, but... you were special to me. You were destroying your body with all these chemicals, starving yourself, and he was destroying your soul. I couldn't let it continue. I couldn't lose you. I offered to let you come stay here. And... I just want to put it out there that I did not have any expectations of anything at all. I would never abuse your trust like that. I would never hurt you. I would never use you like that. Look at me. I need you to know that."
He gave my chin a very slight nudge to meet my eyes. I knew that he was right. He wouldn't hurt me. He couldn't.
"And then what happened?"
"You were happy. You were clean. We grew... closer. We fell in love. I would wake up with your beautiful face every morning and you'd be clinging to me so tightly, begging me to stay. And I can't help but feel guilty, I feel like I should have known. I don't know how you got your hands on the drugs. I don't know when. But you started to withdraw. God, it was so hard to watch. I did everything that I could for you. I thought if I could just keep you safe and loved..."
His voice cracked and my heart melted. I put my arms around him, idly playing with his hair, and I kissed his lips.
"I'm so sorry. I... I don't know what happened. I wish I did. It's obvious how much you love me. I'm so sorry that I disappointed you. I'm so sorry that I was afraid of you. You've been--"
He put a finger over my lips, shushing me.
"I don't understand that part either, to be honest, Anna. I think that maybe you were seeing how protective I was with you, and somewhere your silly brain connected that to what your father should have been for you. When you told me that your father loved you... he didn't, Anna. I love you. It makes sense, doesn't it?"
I nodded. It did make sense. But I had so many memories of my father being wonderful and supportive. How could I have made all that up? He thought to himself for a second, and then his eyes lit up with an idea. He grabbed my wrists passionately.