Meeting with the Marriage Counselor...

It's Friday and Dr. Blanchett sits quietly working at her desk while she waits for her next appointment to arrive, fingers quickly and efficiently tapping the keyboard as she types up her notes from her previous session.

A soft knock at the door signals that her next 

appointment has arrived.
*Dr. Blanchett* "Yes, come in...come in..."

*Laura* "Hi, I have a appointment at 12."

*Dr. Blanchett* "Of course, yes...Please have a seat and I'll 

be right with you."

*Laura* "Okay...My husband is not here yet, though. He should be here soon."

*Dr. Blanchett* "No problem, we'll just give him a few minutes to get here, then we'll get started."

Laura looks around and takes in the cozy little office and breathes in a deep breath. She's nervous and hopes Luke shows up, he said he would.

Dr. Blachett finishes typing, then quickly checks her notes for her current session. She tuns around to face Laura and gestures for her to have a seat and get comfy.

*Dr. Blanchett* "Laura, while we wait, you can tell me a little bit about yourself..."

*Laura* "Well, I worked as the head chef at Ma Cherie, for nearly 8 years. Right now I stay at home with my son Phoenix, who is 10 months old, but I hope to open my own restaurant in a couple more years."

*Dr. Blanchett* "It sounds like you have things very well planned out...Is this 

something you always strive to do?"

*Laura smiles* "I try...Phoenix was not planned but he is the center of my world right now and I can't imagine being anywhere else at the moment."

Then the door swings open and Luke enters the room, 
and Laura takes a sigh of relief...

*Luke* "I'm sorry I'm late, traffic was a little congested..."

*Dr. Blanchett* "You're right on time, we were just about to get started, 

please have a seat."

Luke takes a seat on the couch next to Laura.

*Dr. Blanchett continues* "Okay, Luke...Please, tell me a little 

bit about yourself."
*Luke* "Okay....Um...I was born and raised in Seattle, worked for the band Rock Candy for many years...got tired of it. So I decided to move down here and open my record shop...."

*Luke continues* "I always enjoyed it when we had a tour run through New Orleans. A mutual friend of ours introduced me to Laura.... And well, here we are."

Dr. Blanchett nods as she writes notes down on a paper.

*Dr Blanchett* "Do you know why Laura wants you here today?"

Luke swallows hard, that lump of guilt forming in his throat, he hates having to say the words, just thinking about what he did and how much he hurt Laura makes him sick. Saying it out loud is even harder and it shows when he admits it.

*Luke struggles to get out the words* "Because I....I had sex with my Ex..."

*Dr Blanchett nods in acknowledgement* "Now, Laura...In your own words, tell Luke why
you want him here today."
*Laura* "Because he can't be straight forward with me, I know I was in a fragile state
while pregnant with Phoenix but..."

 *Laura continues* "I still deserve to be told the truth. He thought he was protecting me but instead it felt like I was being shut out. I can't be with him if I can't trust him to be honest and straight forward with me. I know he told me the truth about Rufus because he couldn't live with the guilt anymore, but I still feel like he's not being completely truthful...I don't know..."
 
*Dr Blanchett* "Luke, since telling Laura about your affair, do you believe you have been completely honest with her?"

*Luke* "It wasn't an affair...I had sex one time with my ex, and it was not because I love Rufus or wanted to cheat on my wife. I was angry...and the sex was more like a release for all that anger and tension.  As soon as it was over I was hating myself for it, I told Rufus I didn't love her, and that what happened should have never happened."

*Dr. Blanchett interrupts* "Okay...Why were you angry?"
*Luke* "Well, everything between us was good, it was great. We were happy, then we had that huge argument about the pre-nup she never told me about...."

*Luke continues* "She was making all these plans with her Mother, and not once did she ever tell me any of this! Until I found the paperwork in an envelope....So yeah I got mad and I left. Then I made the biggest mistake of my f*cking life..."

*Dr. Blanchett clears her throat* "Language please..."
*Luke* "Sorry..."
*Dr. Blanchett* "Okay Laura, how did you feel that day you argued about the pre-nup?"
*Laura* "After we fought and he left me home alone, I was scared. I thought that, that might be it. I'd never seen him that angry before."

*Laura continues* "I wanted to tell him about the pre-nup and all but he was working long hours and I figured I'd just wait till I could read the paperwork first and then show it to him. And I tried to explain all that to him that day but our argument just got out of hand and... and then he leaves and doesn't come back home till late in the evening."

*Laura continues, tears forming* "Now that I think back about that day, I can't help but think that if I had just tried to keep him from leaving, he never would have went to see her. And none of this would have happened!"
Luke reaches out and touches her arm, he doesn't want her to put any blame on herself about that day.

*Luke* "Baby, this is my screw up. I'm sorry I hurt you, but none of it is your fault! I know there have been a lot of ups and downs for us lately and all the crazy shi...um...stuff  that has been going on..."

*Luke continues* "I love you, and I know I haven't show it much lately by my actions. But I do, I love you and I really am trying here..."
*Dr Blanchett* "Laura the next step is to ask yourself is, if you can forgive Luke... Can you forgive him? Can you accept his actions and yours and what lead to his infidelity?"

*Dr Blanchett continues* "And Luke, you need to ask yourself if you're ready to be fully committed to this marriage and your family. That means you need to always have an open line of communication with each other. Don't backpedal, be truthful...."

*Luke* "But every time I bring up Rufus, she gets angry, even long before she was pregnant and Rufus had showed up in town, Laura never liked me talking about her. So I just stopped telling her about stuff especially with added stress of her pregnancy I didn't want to make things worse."
Laura realizing that over the years they have been together, she has always hated conversations that revolved around him and Rufus. Plus other are always naturally curious when they find out Luke had dated her, which did make her jealous at times.

*Laura* "I realize I didn't make it easy for you, and I'm sorry. I don't know but I get jealous of her, you and her lead a life that I will never know but many of us dream about. And Don't get me wrong I love my life with you..."

*Laura continues*  "So I just got tired of hearing it.  And I'm sorry, I know now I just need to accept your past with...Rufus, and stop comparing it our life together."
*Luke* "I didn't know that, you never told me you felt that way. But Babe, you know I don't want to go back to that life, I've told you that before. Yes, I did enjoy it for a time, but after awhile I got tired of it all. You know, I've told you."

*Laura* "So all this time you've never once thought about wanting to be with Rufus again?"
*Luke sighs* "No, not once. I care about her as a person, but I'm not in love with her. I haven't been for a very long time. I thought her and the rock n roll lifestyle was what I wanted but with Rufus there was always way too much drama. That's why I left her after she miscarried, I realized I didn't want to spend the rest of my life with her."

*Luke* "And I screwed up big time that day we fought about the pre-nup. That night I left to check on Rufus at the hospital, I found out why she had tried to show up at Thanksgiving..."

 *Laura* "Why, What happened? We know Ruby isn't yours...."
 Then Laura realizes what it was and she leans in her voice rising as does her temper.

*Laura* "Oh my god! She's pregnant isn't she! You got her pregnant! That's why she was there that night. Just when I thought things might get better...."
Luke stops her from going on...

*Luke cringes* "Yes I did....but she lost the baby. Remember, I told you when I talked to Hayden that her injuries were bad. Well, I didn't know it was because Cade beat the sh*t out of her, the baby died, Rufus was lucky, they got her to hospital in time or she wouldn't have made it either."

*Laura wiping tears* "I can't believe you would be so careless! This is horrible, Luke!"
*Luke* "I'm sorry! I told you I screwed up but what else can I do! The damage has been done and we all gotta live with it, and I regret not ever telling you everything because maybe then we wouldn't be here trying to "work it out"....Margaret, Ruby, and Rufus are probably all back in LA by now. It's all over and I'm lucky as f*cking hell she didn't have my baby."

*Dr Blanchett takes a deep breath* "Well....Luke, do you have anything else you want to say?"
*Luke* "No that's everything..."
*Dr Blanchett* "Laura? Do have anything you want to say?"
*Laura* "No...."
Dr. Blanchett looks at the clock then sets down her notes.

 *Dr. Blanchett* "I normally prefer to end things on a more positive note

but we have ran out of time today. I would like you both to come back this following Friday at noon and I'm giving you homework. I want you to each write 5 things that made you fall in love with each other. Bring your list in so we can talk about it on Friday. Any other questions?"

They both shake their heads no and Dr. Blanchett acknowledges it. They all say their goodbyes then Laura gets up to leave and Luke follows her out the door as quick as he can.

*Luke* "Laura, wait...Can we talk some more, maybe over lunch?"
*Laura* "Don't you need to get back to the shop?"
*Luke* "No, Willow is working there now..."
Laura turns around to face him.
*Laura* "Peter's girlfriend?..."

*Luke* "Yeah...She just started this week. Crazy right?"
*Laura* "Is history doomed to repeat itself? You hire another one of Peter's girlfriends
 she's not gonna spy on you for Rufus is she?"
*Luke* "C'mon, Babe that's not fair. Willow is a really nice girl, I think you would get along with her. So can I take you to lunch?"

*Laura* "Luke...I...I'm just not ready for anything like that.
Besides, I need to get going...I gotta pick up Phoenix at my Mom's."
Then she turns around and starts to walk away.

*Luke* "Can I come by later? I want to see Phoenix..."
*Laura* "I'll call you..."
Then she walks away, digging around in her bag for her car keys, Luke is left standing there wondering if he's done more damage by telling her about Rufus' short lived pregnancy. But that's why they were here today isn't it? To tell each other the truth, to lay it all out and work out their feelings? Can they get back to being happy or is their marriage over?


To be continued...