Honeysuckle Summer (The Sweet Magnolias #7)(70)

“It’s not enough,” Raylene said despondently. What counted was getting well enough to have a normal life, a full life with Carter. Being able to be there for Carrie and Mandy the way she should be, not sitting on the sidelines, but truly involved in their lives. Maybe even kids down the road. Not a life where success was measured by stepping a few feet outside of her own front door.

She gathered the few bits of her composure remaining and stood. “I’ll leave the two of you alone to talk. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”

She saw the dismay on the psychologist’s face and the worry on Carter’s, but she had nothing to say that would reassure either one of them. In fact, she didn’t even have words to reassure herself.



“You should go to her,” Carter said, his gaze following Raylene. He’d never seen her look so defeated, not even after he’d found her in a similar state in the backyard.

Dr. McDaniels shook her head. “She won’t hear anything I have to say right now. Besides, she’s very anxious for the two of us to talk about your sister. Tell me what’s going on with her.”

Carter shook off his worries about Raylene and described everything he and others had been noticing about Carrie’s behavior. “I’m really scared for her, but she denies there’s a problem and I have no idea what to do next.”

“You know she needs help,” the doctor said. “That’s a great first step. I’d like to speak to her myself. Do you think she’d agree to come to my office?”

“Not willingly,” he said grimly. “But I could make it happen.”

“What about the nutritionist at the hospital? Would Carrie see her willingly? Maybe you could suggest that you know she’s been worried about her weight and that the nutritionist is someone who could help her develop a sensible eating plan.”

“She’ll see right through that. Right now she’s touchy about any mention of food.”

“What about insisting she get a physical for school with a general practitioner? I’d like to see some kind of clinical evaluation so we know where her health stands. If she really is anorexic, more than likely there will be evidence of it.”

“Again, she’s so sensitive to every suggestion even remotely related to her health, she’ll probably balk at that, too.”

“Okay, then, here’s where tough parenting is required. You may have to insist. It probably doesn’t matter which of those steps you take first, as long as you take one of them.”

“That’s it? There’s no other way?” he asked.

“You won’t like the alternative any better, and neither will she,” the doctor said, her expression grim. “I’d recommend that you put her into the hospital or a residential-treatment program to be evaluated. If a teen is simply in denial, usually the first mention of a hospital or treatment facility is enough to get them to start taking the situation seriously. She may be angry, but you’re the responsible adult. You can’t let anger or tears sway you from doing what needs to be done.”

Carter closed his eyes, trying to envision Carrie’s reaction to being committed somewhere for treatment. He wasn’t sure he could do that. He was too afraid she’d feel as if he’d betrayed her.

“I’d like to make an appointment for her with you,” he said. “The first opening you have.”

“Tomorrow morning at ten,” she said at once.

“We’ll be there.”

“I’ll want to talk to her alone,” she told him.

“Not a problem. But I’ll be just outside the door in case she decides to try to bolt.”

“She’s going to be furious with you.”

“I can handle that, as long as she gets well.”

Dr. McDaniels regarded him with concern. “I know she’s your sister, not your child, but it’s awfully hard to see anyone you love look at you as if they hate you. Be prepared for that. Maybe you should talk to Ronnie or Dana Sue Sullivan and see how they coped with that when Annie was in treatment.”

“I’ll do that. I can deal with hard. It’s just as difficult to watch her wasting away and not have any idea how to help,” he said, grimly determined to get them both through whatever lay ahead.

“I’ll want to have some sessions with you and her sister, as well. Family counseling is an important part of the recovery from anorexia, if that’s what we’re dealing with.”

“Whatever you need. It’ll probably be good for Mandy, too. I think they’ve both dealt with a lot since we lost our parents. I’ve done the best I could, but I’m sure there’s a lot they’ve kept bottled up inside.”

“Grief could be a big part of Carrie’s behavior,” she said. “If it is, we’ll find better coping mechanisms.”

Carter nodded, relieved to have someone with real expertise on his side. “I’ll see you in the morning then. Do you want to see Raylene before you go, or is it okay if I spend a few minutes with her?”

“I think she probably needs you more than she does me right now,” Dr. McDaniels said. “Tell her I’ll be back day after tomorrow at the regular time.”

Carter nodded and walked her to the door. When she was gone, he drew a deep breath and braced himself for seeing Raylene. He knew she’d probably spent the past half hour beating up on herself over falling apart. It was what she did. She set her expectations too high, then berated herself for failing.