Better The Devil You Know

How To Be A Failure 101

As Marie gently pushed Aurora up, she smiled softly, wiping away Aurora's tears.

"There we go. Look at you! Where hurts exactly?"

"Everywhere. Everywhere hurts."

Aurora's breathing had become laboured, her panic rising. What if she could never walk again? What if she was stuck in that blasted chair for forever?

"Hey, hey. Look at me, Aurora. You're alright. I'm holding on to you. This is normal. I would be concerned if you found this easy. Ok? It's going to hurt. But we're going to keep doing this until it stops hurting, ok?"

"I can't do it." Aurora shook her head madly, her arms and legs shaking violently, "Let me sit down, I can't do it."

As Marie guided her back to her chair, Aurora heard the door open and close. Closing her eyes as Marie looked up, Aurora whispered,

"He left didn't he?"

🖤

Aurora was sat back in her new therapist's office. It was odd moving therapist and even odder that the new one Amanda, knew her name. Not to mention that Amanda worked within the Mafia, mainly working with men who had completely lost it and of course, Aurora. Aurora wondered if she too had lost it.

"I can't even walk. I'm hopeless. Helpless."

"But you're starting physio. Isn't that helping?"

"Hardly. Nathan walked out because he couldn't watch me flap about weakly."

"How do you know that was why he left? Have you talked to him about it?"

"No. But I would leave to if I could. I'm weak, I'm incapable, I'm everything I hate and why the hell would he want to be married to me?"

"I don't think you're weak. I think you're brave and strong. Maybe he didn't want to see you in pain."

"No. That's not it."

"Why not?"

"Because he just wouldn't."

"Why?"

"Because he doesn't like me. He doesn't."

"How do you know that? Has he told you that or have you told yourself that?"

"Well... he doesn't need to tell me."

"Because... Because you already know?"

"Yes!"

"Because you've already told yourself he can't love you."

"Yes."

"Why can't he love you?"

"Because I can't love him!" Aurora nearly shouted, exasperated.

"Who are you trying to convince? Me or you?"

🖤

The June air was warm and inviting as the three friends watched Alessia try and catch a butterfly.

"I want a baby," muttered Lucy.