The Stranger in the Mirror(66)

She runs into the room and wraps her arms around his legs. He laughs and picks her up, kissing her cheek.

“You will write to me and do the—what’s it called, the Facecall?”

“Facetime. Yes, she will,” I say.

I reach for her hand, grab her suitcase, and we get into the car.

As soon as we’re on the main road, she turns to me. “Where’s my mommy?”

“Sweetie, do you remember when I told you that Mommy got an operation?”

Her head bobs up and down. “Yes, a paration on her face?”

“Right. You see, Mommy had a car accident. Her face was hurt. But she’s okay now. It’s just that she’s going to look a little different, but she’s still your mommy.”

“No! I don’t want her to be different.”

I glance at her quickly. She’s pouting now. “Sweetheart, it’s okay. She misses you terribly and can’t wait to see you. You’ll get used to the way she looks, and she’s still beautiful.”

She doesn’t answer, and I drop it for now; after I’ve spent some hours with her in hypnosis over the next two days, she’ll be fine. Once she’s back home and has spent enough time with the new Cassandra, she’ll forget what her real mother looked like. She has to; otherwise this is all in vain, and I won’t have it all be in vain. She needs a mother as much as I need a wife. I’m giving her the family that I never had, that her real mother never had, but that’s the wonderful thing about life, and about psychiatry—it’s always giving you the opportunity to reinvent yourself, to make things right. I’m filled with new resolve. Today is the start of our new family—one that nothing and no one will ever tear apart.

It took me years to finally meet the woman that destiny had in store for me. All through college and medical school, I had nothing but superficial relationships. Plenty of attention from women looking for a rich doctor-to-be, but there was never a true connection. Until I met Cassandra. I knew, of course, that as her therapist, it wasn’t appropriate for me to have a relationship with her. But sometimes rules are meant to be broken. It became apparent very quickly that she’d been sent to me for a reason. I was the one who held the key to her happiness, the key to unlock her from the cage of her unhappy marriage, to give her a new life with me. I couldn’t have known how it would end up—that I’d lose her as swiftly as I’d found her. I won’t mess up this time. This time is for keeps.

*

After two days of sessions, Valentina and I are home. I’ve called ahead to alert Cassandra that our arrival is imminent, but despite all my preparations, I’m still nervous. I stop in front of the house instead of pulling into the garage, and before I’ve even turned the car off, Valentina is out of her car seat and trying to open the door, eager to see her mother. When I open it for her, she bounds out and reaches the front door just as Nancy, the new housekeeper, opens it. “Hello, Miss Valentina. Welcome home.”

Valentina gives her a shy smile. “Mommy? Mommy?” she hollers, running from the hallway toward the kitchen.

“Where’s Mrs. Hunter?” I ask.

Nancy points in the direction of the kitchen. “She baked sugar cookies for Valentina.”

Sugar cookies are Valentina’s favorite. I’m pleased that Cassandra is trying.

When I walk into the kitchen, Cassandra is kneeling, her arms opened wide, but Valentina is just standing there, staring at her.

“You’re not my mommy. I want my mommy!”

Despite the hypnosis, I’m not surprised at her reaction. After all, aside from the dark hair and similar build, the new Cassandra looks very different from the mother she remembers. I’ve hypnotized Valentina to believe that her real mother had green eyes. It’s a happy coincidence that this Cassandra has green eyes, like Valentina’s; it should help to cement the belief in both of them that they are related. My mother’s eyes were the same green.

I come up behind Valentina and put a hand on her shoulder. “Valentina, it’s okay. Click in,” I say, using her trigger words. She’s quiet suddenly, and I whisper, “That’s Mommy. You love Mommy. It’s the Mommy you remember, she just looks different because of how her face was hurt in the car accident.” I stand again. “You’re with me,” I say quietly, and she comes out of the trance.

She takes a tentative step toward Cassandra, whose expression is anxious. “Mommy?”

“Yes, sweetheart. It’s me. I made your favorite. Sugar cookies.”

Valentina allows Cassandra to hug her, but I can tell that she’s holding back. It’s a start, though. They will have time to have new experiences together, and after a while Valentina will love her just as much as she loved her first mommy.

“Why don’t you have a seat, and I’ll get you some milk,” Cassandra suggests.

Valentina puts her hands on her hips. “I’m lergic to milk.” She turns toward me, her face red and angry. “I told you that’s not my mommy.”

How did I forget to tell Cassandra about Valentina’s allergy? “Valentina, no. Mommy meant almond milk.”

Valentina doesn’t look quite convinced, but she sits down at her little table. Cassandra hands her a plate with two cookies on it. Cassandra’s about to say something, I can tell, but I give her a look that says I’ll explain later. When Valentina finishes, Nancy takes her upstairs to help her unpack.