Evil Eye by Etaf Rum

Author:Etaf Rum
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2023-07-17T00:00:00+00:00

24

On Friday, as Yara headed into William’s office, she smiled back at Silas and thanked him for holding the door. She wasn’t sure what she would share with William today, but she felt now their sessions might help her feel better. Silas had let her in without fear of judgment, so perhaps she could do the same with her counselor.

There was a stillness in the room as Yara took her seat, and she set her hands in her lap and looked down at them. From his usual seat, William adjusted his glasses and regarded her. He was wearing a light blue tie that made his eyes seem more intense than usual, almost violet.

“Let’s get started, shall we?” he said, beginning the session with a few general questions: How were things at work? How was she sleeping? How did she feel today? Yara answered as plainly as possible, choosing her words with great care to make sure there was no room for misinterpretation. Back and forth they went, their exchange shallow, until she quickly said: “I think I’m ready to really talk now.”

William paused midsentence and looked at her carefully. “That’s great, Yara. Where would you like to start?”

She swallowed. “What do you want to know?”

“We haven’t talked about your family. Are you on good terms with them?”

“Not really.” Yara reached for a navy throw pillow and hugged it toward her chest. “I have five younger brothers, but they’re scattered across the country and we’re not that close. My parents, well—” She paused, cleared her throat. This was much harder than she’d anticipated. She took a deep breath and pictured Silas—thinking of how open he’d been the other day in the kitchen. Releasing the pillow onto her lap, she said, “To be honest, I don’t really get along with my dad.”

William nodded, allowing her to continue.

“I mean, we talk from time to time but he’s . . .” She trailed off.

“Why don’t you get along with him?”

“There’s no specific reason,” she said. “Maybe some things from when I was younger, the way he treated my mom.” She felt tears forming in her eyes and quickly wiped them away, surprised at how difficult it was for her to say the words aloud. “Sorry, this is really hard to talk about.”

“Please don’t apologize,” William said. “It’s very brave of you to share this with me.”

She looked toward the window. “I don’t know why I’m still so upset. It was all a long time ago. I guess I keep hoping that he’ll try to make amends. But he never has.”

“It’s natural to feel this way,” William said. “It sounds like you were hurt by someone you relied on for your safety and well-being. That’s going to have an impact.”

She nodded, keeping her eyes fixed on the window.

“Family relationships can be very complex,” he continued. “Even the best of them can leave scars on the ones they love, and they have a powerful influence on who you are as an adult.” He paused, trying to meet her eyes, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at him.

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