Chapter 60, Therapy for the Young Man

Chapter 60, Therapy for the Young Man

Gerald stood there for a moment, his large eyes blinking slowly. Is it-, sorry, may I come inside? He seemed hesitant to ask, and Darius fully understood why, reacting to the whole scene with a mild, relaxing smile to lessen Geralds fears.

Of course. Your English has gotten much better, too. Though, in my house, you need never speak too formally, Darius said in his best German. He hadnt learnt it for this specific purpose and he certainly hadnt had to use it in a long while, but it made him happy that he had such good use for it with the young Gerald. As Gerald nodded hastily, Darius turned back inside, making sure to grab a small bowl of assorted nuts and dried fruits for Gerald before entering back into the library. Gerald was right behind him, and after only a little moment, they were each seated in their respective seats.

Gerald eyed the bowl of assorted nuts and fruits with lusting eyes. Until Darius gave an approving wave of the hand, Gerald didnt do anything. Once he did, the teen went rabid, throwing himself at the bowl and stuffing the little salted things in his mouth.

After gobbling down about half of it, the boy carefully wiped his mouth on the edge of his long-sleeved shirt and sat up straight. Thank You, Doctor.

Youre always welcome to anything youd like in this house, Gerald. Darius removed a blue notebook from beside his chair, a different one from the light-red one he used for Kreig. It already contained notes on their last session, which Darius quickly picked up from. Did you tell that Annie girl in your class that youd like to be friends?

This made Gerald perk up. Ah! Yes, Doctor, I did! Seeing her sit on her own was-, Im glad I talked to her. Jay agreed too, though she seemed to have some strange idea that Annie deserved not having friends, which I found odd. Either way, Annie agreed, and she turned out to be nicer than I thought!

Gerald genuinely smiled at the thought of having gained a second friend, and Darius felt a hum of content seep through his body. They hadnt been meeting for too long, but even at such an early moment as this, it was still clear that Gerald was making very quick improvements. As far as he had said in just the previous session, Gerald hadnt truly had more than one friend before coming to this world. And now, he had two.

Is she getting along with Jay?

The only thing Gerald found unappealing about Jay was that she still hadnt let him go home to her house, something Darius had told him was normal during an earlier session. In almost all other regards, Gerald was developing and becoming genuinely happy. Accepted by his family, welcomed to his class without ridicule, able to make friends In a certain way, it was a far more positive development than Darius had ever dared to hope for. Watching a young boy like Darius overcome such a terrible past was inspiring in an odd way and gave him real hope for Kreig.

As the session neared its end and Gerald grew more talkative, speaking in warm words about how his foster fathers had planned him a so-called movie-night for the evening (whatever that was), Darius readied himself to close the blinds on it.

Always glad to hear it, Gerald. Now, weve almost reached 17, is there anything youd like to tell me as a final addendum?

Gerald, just as last time, furrowed his brows and tapped his thumb to his lower lip. -Forgive me! I forgot to ask last time, but has Kreig been released yet? Im sure theyre keeping him for a reason, truly, I, if anyone, should know, I Im just curious. When will he contact me? The phone I have is rudimentary, but Ive been assured that, should I be contacted, I will know. Gerald waited a moment before speaking again. Do You think hed like his painting back? Its framed in my room. Im afraid I cant take it down.

Darius laughed heartily. Hahahah, no, not at all. Im sure hed be delighted to know youve kept it. He spent an entire night on it, not to mention the days he spent studying your face. Furthermore, he has been released, although he still hasnt fully grasped the concept of modern technology yet. Until he does, you may be met with silence. Take it warmly. Hell reach you when he gets here. Keep in mind that he holds you in extremely high regard.

Gerald smiled deeply. Is that so? Then, Im glad. Thank you for telling me.

Happy to tell, Gerald.

And so, the session ended peacefully.