Bette collected the stack of papers she needed to bring home from her desk and put them in her briefcase. It was 5:30pm and she was anxious to get out of the office.

During her lunch hour that day, she had gone to her first therapy appointment with Melinda Judge. The appointment was much less nerve racking than she expected it to be, though she had cried in front of a woman she had only known for ten minutes, it actually felt good. She explained the situation to Melinda, starting with Tina quitting her job, their less than adequate ***** life, and the miscarriage. Ending with the affair she had with Candace. Melinda listened for most of the session and then explained to Bette where they would go from here.

“Well, I will start with what I tell all of my patients who are recovering from infidelity. If you really want to save this relationship, it can be mended. I know lots of couples who have come out of these situations even stronger because it forces you to see what is wrong with the relationship. But it is a lot of work and accountability on your part. So, you need to decide if this is what you want.”

“This is absolutely what I want. It is why I am here.”

“Okay. Then I want to schedule you for ten visits to start with. We will spend the first three to five weeks delving into your past a bit. I want to know more about your upbringing and past relationships. I have a feeling there may have been chaos surrounding your childhood.”

Bette wanted to laugh… “Chaos? Well, my parents are divorced if that is what you are getting at. But I wouldn’t call it chaotic.”

“You would be surprised how much even that can effect the way you look at and live in your own relationships, Bette. This won’t be easy and it will be a bit painful at times to relive these feelings. But it is the only way to make sure that you can recognize these issues and make Tina feel secure that you won’t make the same mistake twice.” Melinda kind of reminded Bette of Tina, a little bit. She was very warm and had an earthly sense of style.