Justin was stunned Joey, who had been fidgeting with Rachelâs fingers, was also taken aback ile raised his head and glanced at Justin right away "Iâm sorry, I thought you were the person Clara told me about Justin immediately came to his senses and apologized Although he was surprised, he had seen a lot of patients who needed psychological help As a psychologist, it was his job to help patients with their problems.
He was known to be one of the best in the field of psychotherapy at home "Mommy?"
Joey looked at Rachel in confusion, Rachel said she was going to see her friend.
Why did he seem to be the center of their discussion? He clenched Rachelâs finger unconsciously Noticing the uneasy expression on his face, Rachel withdrew her hand, squatted down, and looked at him.
"Joe, would you like to speak to this uncle alone? Mommyâs going to wait for you outside."
"Noâ¦"
Joey frowned almost immediately and shook his head.He finally understood what was going on.
This person wasnât his motherâs friend, but a psychologist she found for him.
The little child felt so upset the moment he realized his motherâs intentions.He disliked seeing doctors and hated to stay with people he considered strangers.
Rachel was well aware of Joeyâs personality, so she didnât inform him that she had taken him to see a psychologist.
But now she realized that it was probably a big mistake to hide the truth.
"Joe, you do know itâs necessary for you to see a doctor, donât you?"
Rachel gently soothed his forehead with her thumb.
Joey pressed his lips into a thin line, his eyelashes trembling.
Despite hearing Rachelâs words, he remained silent.
In fact, he knew that he needed to see a doctor.
The day after the car accident happened, Lukas noticed that Joey couldnât sleep well and his face was pale.
He was clearly traumatized by the car accident and the gunshot.
Even though the little boy pretended to be an adult at times, he was still a child.
He would still get scared and couldnât remain calm when confronted with gunshot, blood, and danger at close range.
Even adults were scared to witness something so horrible.
After that, Lukas told Victor about Joeyâs condition, and Victor arranged for Joey to be counseled by a psychologist.
However, Joey didnât like the idea at all.He pretended to be fine, but deep down, he didnât want to see the psychologist any longer.He acted obedient and cooperative with the psychologist, but he refused to reveal his genuine feelings.He never mentioned his recurring nightmares in front of them.He even made Lukas and the psychologist believe that there was nothing wrong with him and that he wasnât affected by the car accident.
During the last thirty days, Rachel accompanied him to sleep.
Since Joey felt safe and comfortable with her presence, his nightmare episodes gradually decreased.
It was the reason why Rachel didnât realize he was still affected by the car accident.
And two days ago, Joey went to Waterfront Hotel early in the morning to pick her up.
But when he got home, his nightmares triggered again.
That was when Rachel found out that his condition was getting worse.
Rachel held his little face and comforted him, "Donât worry, Joe.No one will hurt you here.Iâm sorry for lying to you about seeing my friend today."
"Mommy, I want to go homeâ¦" Joey said in a sorrowful tone.
He really didnât want to be left with the doctor.
Rachel let go of him.She peered at his big, sad, pleading eyes and shook her head firmly.
"But Mommy, Iâm really fine! I donât need to see a doctor at all.I donât have nightmares anymore."
"Joe, do you still remember the story I told you about the king who got sick?"
Rachelâs tone was soft, but she remained firm.
"The king became ill, but he refused to see a doctor, and there was no remedy for him at the end."
Joey eventually understood what Rachel meant, but he still felt conflicted.He refused to acknowledge that he needed help from a psychologist.
He asserted that he was well and that his nightmares were nothing to be concerned about, and that he no longer had nightmares Thanks to his motherâs company Joey looked at Rachel and paused for a moment.He knew that she wouldnât change her mind no matter what, so he had to go with this session.
"Mommy⦠Will you wait for me outside?"
"Of course.Didnât say you hadnât seen Aunt Abby since you got back? Mommy will take you to see her after you see the doctor, okay?"
"Hmm⦠Deal!" Joey consented to see the doctor at long last.
Rachel rose up, turned to Justin, and said, "Thank you, Dr.Hall."
"Thereâs no need for thanks, Miss Bennet.Itâs my duty."
He had been listening to Rachel and Joeyâs conversation the entire time.
As an adult, Rachel didnât force Joey to agree with her arrangement.
Her tone was gentle, and she put herself in an equal position to converse with Joey, despite her firm stance.
She made him listen by telling him that his refusal would lead to bigger problems in the future.
He had seen a lot of parents that would take their kids to see a psychiatrist.
Most parents treated their children harshly, which contributed to a big part of their childrenâs mental illness.
Rachel was clearly a wonderful, gentle, and strong mother.
Thinking of this made Justin smile as he took a few more glances at Rachel.
"Little man, would you like to come upstairs with me and talk for a bit? What do you say?"
Justin turned to face Joey with a kind smile.
As soon as Joey heard this, his first reaction was to look at Rachel.
After seeing Rachelâs faint nod, he agreed with Justin and followed him upstairs.
The consulting room was on the second floor.
Since psychological counseling required a peaceful environment, Rachel and Clara had to wait on the first floor.
"Dr.Jimenez, Miss Bennet, please have some tea."
The nurse, who was also Justinâs assistant, led them into the building earlier.
She treated Clara and Rachel respectfully and served them two cups of freshly brewed scented tea.
Clara was delighted to smell the faint scent of roses coming from the teacup on the table.She thanked the nurse and took a sip, and then placed the teacup down.She then looked at Rachel, as if she wanted to say something.
After a moment, Clara called out to her.
"Rachel.".
This immediately made Rachel turn to her.Just now, I heard Joey call you⦠Mommy?".
Clara didnât notice Joey was calling Rachel his mommy at first.
But later, he kept addressing her like that multiple times, which sparked her curiosity.She knew it was Rachelâs personal matter, and it wasnât any of her business to pry.
As a friend, she didnât want to invade her privacy.
But she couldnât help asking because it felt so natural for Joey to call her his mommy.
When her eyes fell on Joeyâs back, she was in a trance for a moment, as if she had seen Victor.
They strikingly looked similar, and people might think of them as father and son if they stood together side by side.
Did uncle and nephew looked like each other to such an extent?