Chapter 463: Emotional Unpacking
The moment they stepped into the building, Emily understood why Callan preferred coming there late.
The place was quiet. Almost empty.
The reception area was softly lit and peaceful. No reporters. No curious strangers. No one whispering behind their backs.
Just silence.
For once, Callan looked like an ordinary man.
A nervous ordinary man.
Emily noticed the slight tension in his shoulders as they walked towards the elevator.
"Do you always look this serious before therapy?" she asked lightly.
Callan glanced at her. "No."
Emily raised an eyebrow. "So, what’s wrong?"
"You’re here."
She laughed.
He didn’t.
That made her look at him more carefully. "You’re nervous because I’m here."
Callan sighed. "A little. I thought this would be a good idea. But what if it isn’t? What if we say things that end up hurting each other?"
Emily squeezed his hand. "It’s a good idea, Cal. We’ll be fine. Better we say those things in front of a therapist than keep them in our heads."
He looked at her. "You say that now."
She laughed again. "Just relax."
A few minutes later, they were sitting side by side inside Dr. Reynold’s office.
The room felt warm and comfortable.
As Emily looked around the office, she immediately understood why Callan liked the place.
It didn’t feel clinical. It felt safe.
Dr. Reynold smiled at them. "Good evening."
"Good evening," Emily replied.
Callan nodded. "Good evening."
The therapist looked between them with a wide smile. "I’m happy you both finally made it."
Emily leaned forward in her seat. "I’m sorry we kept cancelling. It was my fault."
The therapist waved it off. "I completely understand considering the nature of your job."
Emily smiled. "You know what I do?"
The therapist laughed softly. "Of course, I do. Callan mentioned it. And I saw the news of Callan’s grand proposal at the hospital."
"You did?" Emily asked with a giggle.
"Yeah," she said, then looked at Callan. "I must say that was very surprising considering our last session."
Callan shifted slightly in his seat. Emily noticed. She also noticed that he looked strangely uncomfortable. Almost vulnerable.
It was a version of him she rarely saw.
Dr. Reynold smiled gently. "Callan, how have you been?"
Callan leaned back slightly in his chair. For a moment, he seemed to think about the question. Then he glanced at Emily before looking back at the therapist.
"Good."
Dr. Reynold raised an eyebrow. "Good?"
Callan nodded. "Actually, very good."
The therapist smiled. "That sounds different from the last time we spoke."
"It is."
Dr. Reynold folded her hands in her lap. "Would you like to elaborate?"
Callan let out a small laugh. "I sleep better."
Emily smiled. "I worry less, and I’m no longer living with guilt."
The therapist nodded with approval.
"I am more emotionally open with my loved ones. Or what’s the opposite of emotional detachment? That would be attachment, wouldn’t it, writer?" He asked, looking at Emily.
Emily smiled. "I’m not sure about that."
"And here I was thinking you knew everything," Callan said dryly.
"I do know a lot more than you do, though," Emily said with a giggle.
Callan scoffed. "I don’t know the opposite of emotional detachment, and you don’t know it either. From where I stand, you don’t know more than I do."
Emily laughed.
Dr. Reynold watched the exchange quietly.
The warmth between them was impossible to miss. It was very different from the tense, guarded version of Callan she had listened to for years.
Finally, she smiled. "In your case, the opposite of emotional detachment would be emotional connection and vulnerability. Are you able to share your thoughts and feelings openly now?"
"No," Emily said before Callan could respond.
"She asked me, not you," Callan said with a scowl.
"If you wanted a private session, you should have come alone," Emily retorted before looking at the therapist. "He’s trying. Compared to how he was in the past, he’s trying, but he’s not totally there yet."
The doctor nodded slowly. "I guess it’s a good thing she came with you. Sometimes the people closest to us notice changes before we notice them ourselves."
Callan sighed dramatically. "Wonderful. So now there are two of you."
Emily giggled.
Dr. Reynold laughed softly. "Don’t worry. I’m not taking sides."
"That’s exactly what someone taking sides would say," Callan muttered.
Emily laughed harder.
The therapist waited for the laughter to settle before continuing.
"So, Callan, seeing how Emily is here and you’re both in a relationship now, am I to assume you’ve found the courage to show her your true, unfiltered self?"
Callan’s expression softened as he turned to look at Emily. "Yes."
The therapist smiled. "That’s wonderful. I’m glad to hear that," she said, then looked between them. "So, seeing as she is seated beside you right now, I suppose your fears were not actualised?"
Callan smiled. "I did a lot of talking. Not just with Emily. I talked with my parents. I talked with my best friend. And I talked with Emily. Not one of them judged me. It was all in my head."
"You could have saved your money these past three years if you’d listened to me from the onset," the therapist said.
Callan grinned. "Or maybe I just like coming to your office and seeing your face."
The therapist and Emily laughed.
"You seem happier, Callan."
"I am," Callan said without hesitation.
Emily felt her chest warm. The answer had come so easily.
Dr. Reynold nodded slowly. "I’m glad you took my advice."
Callan smiled, not bothering to tell her all that had happened between the last time they’d met and now to have made him open up to everyone as he had done.
Now that he thought about it, Ryan’s appearance in his life had been the final push he needed to confront his past and open up to his loved ones.
Something good had come out of Ryan’s appearance after all, Callan thought as he glanced at Emily again.
This time his smile widened before he could stop it.
The therapist immediately noticed. "I guess your happiness has more to do with Emily here than with my advice."
Emily laughed.
Callan rubbed the back of his neck. "Basically."
"That’s a lot of pressure you’re putting on me," Emily teased.
"Good. You should feel the pressure."
Emily rolled her eyes.
The therapist chuckled. Then she leaned forward slightly. "Tell me something. Why did the two of you decide to come for couples counselling?"
"There’s a lot of baggage between us that needs to be cleared up," Callan said.
Emily nodded. "We want our relationship to work. So we want to start right."
The therapist nodded. "Good."
She looked between them for a moment before speaking again.
"Before we start, I just want to remind both of you that this is a safe space. Nobody is here to win arguments or assign blame. The goal is understanding."
Callan and Emily exchanged a look, then nodded.
"Why don’t we start with something simple?" Dr. Reynold suggested.
She looked at Emily.
"How would you describe your relationship right now?"
Emily considered the question carefully.
For a few seconds, she simply stared at her hands.
Then she smiled.
"Happy."
Callan’s expression immediately softened as he looked at her. Emily laughed softly when she noticed.
"We’re happy."
Dr. Reynold nodded. "That’s good."
"It is," Emily agreed. "But it’s also complicated."
Callan’s brows pulled together this time.
The therapist smiled slightly. "Complicated how?"
Emily glanced at Callan. "Because we’re not a new couple."
Callan nodded in agreement immediately.
Emily continued. "We’ve known each other for most of our lives. We’ve loved each other for years. We’ve hurt each other for years too."
The room grew quieter.
"There are moments when it feels like we’re starting fresh. Then there are moments when something reminds us of the past."
Dr. Reynold nodded thoughtfully. "Good or bad memories?"
"Not good ones," Emily confessed. "Although I’m trying now, but I’m having a hard time trusting Cal. My heart does, but my head doesn’t. And that’s one of the reasons I’m here."
The room became quiet.
Callan’s expression didn’t change, but he held her hand.
Dr. Reynold nodded gently. "We will come back to that," she said, turning to Callan. "How would you describe your relationship right now?"
Callan didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked at Emily. His gaze lingered on her face for several seconds before he finally looked away.
Dr. Reynold noticed. "So?" she prompted gently.
Callan let out a small breath. "I’d say we’re figuring things out."
Emily smiled faintly.
Callan continued. "We’re happy, just as she said."
He squeezed Emily’s hand. "But I also think we’re a mess."
Emily burst out laughing. "Callan Quinn!"
The therapist laughed too. "That’s very honest."
"You said it’s a safe space," he said dryly.
Dr. Reynold spoke carefully. "Why do you think your relationship is a mess?"
"Me. I spent so many years doing all the wrong things, and hurting the one person I love the most. And now we are struggling to move on because my past is standing between us. And even though I’ve left it behind me, it’s refusing to let Emily move forward with me. And so even when I feel frustrated that she is unable to trust me, I can’t blame her for it because I know it’s my fault."
The room fell completely silent.
Dr. Reynold remained calm. "We are going to be doing a lot of emotional unpacking. Let’s get started."
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