Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 85228 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85228 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
He and Nolan speak, but they're too far away for me to hear what they say. I can imagine the words when Nolan looks at me as if he's just seeing me for the first time.
I want to cry, to hang my head in embarrassment. I'm certain the man just told my client's father that I was tied up in a sex club. The man looks furious as if I've somehow invaded his space. As if I'm the one with ulterior motives for being here.
The two of them stop, Nolan standing in front of the man as he speaks to him. When he turns back around, the look that was on Nolan's face is gone.
I have no other recourse than to proceed with the appointment as planned until I'm instructed otherwise.
"I was hoping after you took your shoes off, you could help me," I tell Eli.
We learned very early on in his appointments that the child feels valued when he can help others, and we've been building his confidence to speak up and offer to help when he sees a need. It has helped greatly with his speech, and he's young enough that he doesn't consider the staged encounters as manipulation. He has made great progress in such a short period of time because he has so many people in his corner willing to help.
"You need help?" he asks, and I can sense a hint of lightheartedness in his tone that wasn't there just moments ago.
"I've been trying to learn how to float on my back, and your mom mentioned that you're really good at it. Can you help me?"
His little eyes dart toward the deep end of the pool where Casper and Lark are situated against the wall before meeting mine again.
"Down there?" he asks, pointing to the shallow end, which puts us on opposite ends of the pool.
"If that's okay?" I ask, giving him the choice.
I don't want the child to ever feel pressured or forced. It runs the risk of setting him back in therapy, which I know is also part of it, but we aren't there yet.
"I can help you," he says, kicking off his little shoes and standing taller.
I do my best to ignore the other man in the room, despite being able to feel his eyes drill into my back as Eli and I take the two small steps into the pool.
I lift my eyes immediately at the sound of a loud splash.
"Did you see that?" Eli asks, his tone excited. "Jersey just did a cannonball!"
I smile down at the child for a second before the man resurfaces in the water.
"How do I float?" I ask, pulling the child's attention back to me.
"Just like this," he says, leaning back and straightening his body on the top of the water. "If you don't think about it, you float. If you think too hard, you sink."
I watch as he turns his head slightly, his little legs lowering in the water.
"Now you try," he says after struggling to get his feet back under him.
I pull in a deep breath before leaning back and floating, letting my body become one with the water for a few seconds before standing again.
"You're the best teacher," I praise, loving the wide grin it brings to his face.
"Are you teaching floating?"
I turn my eyes toward the approaching man, my hesitancy increasing, but finding myself grateful that it isn't the man Eli referred to as Jersey.
"He is the best teacher," I repeat.
Eli looks to me for assurance and seems to calm down somewhat after Casper's arrival when he sees the smile on my face.
As if he's been teaching people how to float for years, Eli steps up, gathers his bravery, and teaches the man how to float on his back.
This was planned, of course—the training as well as the other guy's involvement.
I'm grateful the man from the club keeps his distance, although I can feel his eyes on me during the entire therapy session.
I stay back, but close enough that Eli knows I'm there, and let this all play out. I'm trying to build Eli's confidence in interacting with others. His behaviors tell me that people he was supposed to trust have betrayed him numerous times. With every glance back in my direction, I come to understand that there have been times in his life when people were nice to him until they weren't.
It's as if he's waiting for these men to be mean to him. He's helping because that’s in his nature, but like an abused dog, he maintains a little distance as if he's waiting for one of them to strike out at him in some way. Such traumas are hard to overcome, but his age is on his side. Many children are able to get past the things that have caused their anxiety.