mother, Harmony was absolutely thriving. The last six months were a new start for her, a release from the things that kept her bound to the past. Jane worried that the combination of her own actions, Dave’s accident and all that followed would significantly affect the self- chained woman. But she was thrilled that it, in fact, had done the opposite.
With Jane’s gentle guidance and logistical help, Harmony secured her- self a job at the Repo library. She moved into a tiny apartment a few blocks from Jane.
From here she could walk to work every morning and absorb the vitamin D she lacked for so long. The library was a perfect place for someone like Harmony who enjoyed spending most of her time alone, though she was getting better with social interactions each and every time Jane saw her.
There were still years of underlying issues and trauma for her to get through, but she was committed to making the change, to becoming a new person. And now, without the shadow of her family cast over her, that’s exactly what she was doing—slowly but surely growing.
Jane would not miss the reminder that Harmony was. But she did feel guilty about leaving her during such a crucial time in her healing pro- cess. So Jane went above and beyond and took extra measures. She called around to a few of her contacts in the mental health world and subse- quently learned that a renowned psychotherapist she once sat next to in Psych 101 was practicing just forty minutes from Repo Ridge.
At first, Harmony was against the whole thing, but Jane promised her that she would continue their appointments virtually if Harmony disliked her new doctor. Thankfully, the trial session was a success and a nice ad- venture for Harmony—Jane taught her how to use the bus and now she was looking forward to getting out of Repo on a weekly basis.
Jane also felt freed by this. The responsibility for another person’s mental health was not to be taken lightly. And although her intentions had originally been to manipulate and use Dave’s entire family with cool detachment, she still found herself personally involved in the welfare of those who were nothing like Dave. A part of her wanted to protect Harmo- ny. But now that was over.
Jane just finished packing when the other woman knocked on her door.
“Can I come in?” she called from behind the wood. Now that Harmo- ny was no longer her patient, she’d taken to the habit of stopping by on her way home from work almost every day.
“It’s open.”
The transformation was unreal—she hardly resembled the same meek and drawn woman who entered Jane’s office all those long months ago. She was filled with confidence. There was a skip in her step and lightness to her shoulders. Her face was glowing with a hint of color from the warm sun and Jane felt a moment of pride as she took her in.
“Hi, Harmony,” she said with a genuine smile. Jane noticed lately that her own features seemed lighter in wake of all that transpired. “What’s up?”
Harmony’s face fell slightly as she looked around the empty apartment, “I forgot you were leaving tonight. It’s tonight, right?” she questioned with dismay.
Jane pulled the zipper shut on her last duffel bag and turned to comfort her former patient. She smiled sadly, “That’s right.”
Harmony huffed as she dropped down onto the bed, “I’m going to miss you. How am I supposed to keep myself sane?”
“We’ve talked about this. You are sane.”
“I know and I love Rick, that’s what he tells me to call him,” she cooed, her eyes becoming a bit lovesick.
Jane knew that patients often romanticized or fell in love with their therapists. Jane couldn’t blame Harmony. Rick was a handsome man, but he was also extremely professional and one hell of a counselor.
“I’m glad you are finding his guidance helpful.”
“It’s all thanks to you. I owe everything to you.”
Jane shook her head, “I only helped you find your way. You did all the ground work, the hard work.”
“I feel different now. I mean I feel like I was already healing after seeing you for only a month...but now? With all of them gone—it’s like I can finally see me, for the first time.”
“That’s wonderful, Harmony, really.”
“I still get sad sometimes when I think about Dave. But that might just be our ‘genes’ talking to one another. I used to be so jealous of him... how the tables have turned. I bet you he wishes he had my life now,” she bragged, a vengeful look cresting her eyes.
Harmony had taken Dave’s actions personally, almost to the extreme. Along with blaming her parents for the disaster that was their lives, she also felt justified that she hadn’t been the crazy one all along. Her family’s downfall was the rise of her own. This didn’t surprise Jane seeing as June, August and Dave had beaten Harmony into a shell with their individual forms of repression.
“He was always the righteous one, telling me how I should live my life. Pretending to help and care for all of us, when in reality he was only doing it to keep the attention off his own sickness. I would have tried to kill my- self, too. I wonder if he thinks about me?” she trailed off as her eyes flashed back to the past for a swift moment.
“Only he knows what he’s thinking. We can’t assume to understand,” Jane muttered as she grabbed the few items that were left out—a black sharpie and a small pad of sticky notes. She tossed them in the trash.
“I hope he’s suffering,” Harmony whispered viciously, “Like I did for all those years.”
“Like I said, we’ll never know.” Jane was done with the conversation. Done with this life. She didn’t care what happened to Dave now. It was out of her control and she liked it that way. She spent enough time bringing him to his truth, and now she was ready to find her own.
“Can someone like him be cured?” As much as Harmony spent the last months blaming, renouncing and debasing her brother, Jane could still hear the soft hint of hope in her voice.
Jane paused at the question—the truth was always the hardest to tell, “No. It’s already too late for him.”