Watson Sessions - #7 (Patreon)

*** The seventh session takes place on Tuesday January 23rd, two weeks after the sixth session. 

Reminder, this short series contains *Spoilers* for the 'Taste of...' trilogy and for the 'Brotherhood' story. ***

As Maria settled into her usual spot on the sofa, Julie could tell the woman had a lot to talk about. It was harder to get a feel for her emotions right now, she clearly had a lot going on.

"So, no daughters with you this time," Julie commented. "How did it go with Bethany and Sadie, after their visit here last time?"

Maria took a deep breath then replied "The two of us talked a little more in the car on the way home. Beth had her mind made up, she wanted Liz's memories back. But she didn't want to be Liz. She wanted it to be like Sadie's situation. Pretty much like she said while we were still here."

Julie nodded, "And that's a request you were unable to grant yourself. I recall you said you were going to speak with someone else about it?"

"Right," Maria grimaced. "The Saturday after our last session, I went and met with the coven leaders. I told them I wanted to speak directly with our Goddess."

"That's something you told me you were reluctant to do. You said you were scared of her, if I remember right?"

Maria nodded, "Correct. I was, and I still am." She sighed, then in a firm voice she said "I had to do it though. Bethany's my child now. All four of them are my children. As their mother it's my job to stand up for them. So that's what I did."

She hesitated, and Julie could tell the brunette was thinking back to that meeting. After a few moments she started recounting the events of that Saturday.

"I spoke with Sam and Nikki, and explained I needed to consult with the Goddess. Nikki passed my request on, and the Goddess came and joined us." Maria gulped slightly, clearly recalling the anxiety she felt at the time. "I told her that Bethany wished to have her old memories restored, while still remaining Beth. She didn't want to become Liz again, she didn't want to hate her family. She just wanted to remember her past."

Maria hesitated again. "The Goddess reminded me that She'd decided Beth's memories would be kept hidden until she was older. She asked if I was questioning Her judgement."

After another pause, she added "That's what led to Amanda being cursed in November. Questioning the Goddess's judgement regarding Brittany. I'm sure She knew I was uneasy, I'm sure She was...challenging me, I suppose. Testing my resolve, maybe?" Maria sighed slightly.

"I was nervous." She shook her head, "No, I was scared. But I looked Her in the eyes and told Her yes, I was questioning Her. I told her Bethany was my daughter now, and she'd asked me, her mother, to do this for her. I told the Goddess that Beth wanted to have those memories restored. And Beth wants her sisters to be happy, and I think she knows both Jenny and Amanda would be happier to know that their mother 'lives on' inside Beth."

"How did the goddess respond to that?" Julie asked.

Maria grimaced slightly, "She let me sweat for a minute or two as She 'thought it over'. Of course I had no idea if She'd do as I asked, if She'd say no, or if She might have even lashed out at me for questioning Her."

Then she smiled. "In the end, She said yes. She said it would happen overnight while Beth slept, and when she woke in the morning, her memories would be restored." After a moment Maria added, "I asked Her, confirmed she'd still be Bethany after that. And the Goddess said yes. So I thanked Her, She left, and that was that."

Julie smiled, "Good for you Maria, for facing your fears and standing up to her. And how did things go on Sunday? Was there a change in Beth?"

Maria took a deep breath, then blushed "We made a nice breakfast, Sadie and Amanda have been helping me learn to be a better cook. Anyways we made pancakes and bacon, and all five of us had a nice morning. However, I didn't really see anything different. Beth didn't say anything, she didn't act any different. I decided not to press, I didn't want to risk upsetting her if nothing had actually happened. So I decided to wait and see what she'd say." 

"And?" Julie asked.

"There was really no difference, nothing changed the rest of that day. And the following day, Monday, the girls all went off to school like any normal weekday." Maria paused. "That afternoon though, after they all got home from school, Bethany asked to speak with me in private."

She hesitated again, and this time Julie could see the emotions clearly now. There were some tears, but they seemed more like happy tears, or perhaps they were from relief. "Beth apologized to me for trying to kill me. She apologized for all the hurtful things she said and did, when she was Liz." 

Maria took a tissue and wiped her eyes. "I told her I forgave her for all of that. That she was my daughter now and I loved her, that what was in the past wasn't going to affect how I felt or cared for her. And I apologized to her for what I did to her husband, for my mistake that changed Sadie's life forever and sent us all down the path which brought us here."

She took a deep breath and continued, "Beth forgave me as well. She said she understood that I didn't know that would happen, that by the time I found out it was too late. And she knew Sadie had been happy right from the start. From the moment she became Amanda's twin, Sadie was happy."

Maria wiped her eyes again and added "I also apologized to Beth for not trying to help Liz. I knew she had a lot of pain and unresolved anger, and there was nobody she could turn to, nobody to help her work through it. She couldn't tell anyone what had happened to her husband, and she was left alone with her feelings... Of course Liz might not have accepted it if I'd offered, and I suppose that's why I didn't try. But I should have, and I apologized to Beth for not making the attempt." 

With a bittersweet smile and a shrug, Maria concluded "We forgave each other, we hugged, we both cried a little. She remembers her past now but it's not going to haunt her any more." 

She paused to wipe her eyes again and added, "She's my little girl, and I'm her mom. It's... I wasn't prepared for those emotions. I suppose I thought, recovering those memories would make things more difficult between us again. Perhaps she'd even resent me. Instead I think it's let us both finally move on. We were both finally able to process those memories and feelings together, rather than the two of us each being stuck with them but without any way to move forward."

Maria sighed again, but she was smiling. "And Beth said she was happier now. I mean, as Bethany. Happier now than she remembered being as Liz. She has three sisters and a mom who all love her and support her. Nobody's pressuring her to live up to their expectations like Liz's parents apparently did to her. Beth is free to be whoever she wants, and whatever that turns out to be she knows we'll all be there cheering for her."

"That's wonderful, Maria." Julie smiled. "I assume her sisters know she's got her memories back, how did they take it?"

The brunette was still smiling as she replied, "That night after Beth and I talked, we all had a nice quiet family dinner together, then Beth spent the evening talking with her sisters. They reminisced about experiences they'd had together in the past, all the good times they'd shared. Experiences from when Jenny and Amanda were her daughters and Sadie was her husband... There were a few awkward moments of course, both Sadie and Jenny had to ask Beth to be careful about using the correct names and pronouns when discussing some of those past experiences. Beth apologized, and she was careful after that."

Maria wiped her eyes once more. "Through the rest of that week I noticed Beth's demeanour changed slightly. She's still soft-spoken, she's still fairly quiet and comes across as a bit shy. But she's more confident now. I've noticed she engages more with her sisters, and she's becoming much more active with her friends at school as well."

Another smile came to the woman's face as she added "At dinner on Friday, Bethany announced that she wanted to move some of the bookcases back into her bedroom. Her room used to be the library, and apparently that was Liz's favourite room. She liked to relax in there and read, but we'd boxed up all the books and put everything in the basement. So this past weekend, all of us chipped in and helped. We moved four bookcases back up into her room, and we also got rid of the little chair she had for her desk and replaced that with one of the big drum-chairs that had been there originally. Then she and her sisters went through all the boxes of books and helped Beth pick which ones she wanted. It took all weekend but now she's got all the books she wants back in her bedroom."

Maria had to stop and wipe her eyes again. "Her room had been sort of bare before. She'd never done anything to make it hers. I suppose she didn't really know who she was before, and the bare walls and empty desk reflected that. But now it's truly her room, her personal space."

There was a smile on her face again as Maria just slowly shook her head.

Julie smiled as well, "It sounds like things have worked out then? You're happy, all four of your girls are happy?"

"Yes," Maria nodded. "When I first came to see you back in September, I was primarily looking for someone to talk to about all of this, just to get it off my chest. I knew I had some things to work through but at the time my priority was more about having a safe place to vent. Of course you've helped me much more than that. And the girls too... I don't know that Bethany or Sadie will feel the need to come and see you again. Amanda might, she's still coming to grips with a few things. And Jenny... I think she's doing all right too. She hasn't expressed any interest at all in speaking with you."

"Are you saying this is our last session, Maria?" Julie asked with a smile. 

Maria smiled back, "Possibly. Or perhaps our last, for a while. There's some big issues looming in the future that... I have no idea how that will play out."

Julie caught the apprehension in the brunette's voice. "Something affecting your family? Is it something you want to talk about now? We still have some time left today."

"No, it's nothing to do with the family," Maria shook her head. "It's actually coven-related, I suppose. One of the young women... I mentioned her last month, one of the most powerful witches, she and her girlfriend have left the coven and they intend to reveal magic to the world. They plan on sharing magic with the world, specifically the trans community, to allow trans people to change their bodies with magic."

Julie felt her eyes widening at this news. "Wow... So what will that mean for you, and the others?"

"No idea," Maria shook her head. "They claim they'll keep things separate, that the coven won't be involved at all. Perhaps it won't affect us. I think there's a lot of anxiety about it though, a lot of worry that it might wind up impacting us one way or another."

She added, "I don't know when this will happen either, but probably some time in the next few months. If you have any young trans patients, you might find out about it from them at some point, when they show up after a complete magical transition."

Julie just shook her head slowly, she wasn't sure how to react to this news.

"Actually Julie," Maria asked, looking like she just got an idea. "Would you mind if I mentioned your name to others in the coven? I originally joined thinking it would put me in a better position to help them, but that hasn't panned out. Instead I think it made me too close to them. I don't know that any of them would be interested, but if it's ok with you I'd like to mention your name and let them know you're trusted."

After thinking it over for a few moments, Julie shook her head "No I don't mind. As long as you believe it will be safe for us both. Do your fellow witches know you've been speaking with me, and discussing sensitive topics with me?"

Maria shook her head, "They don't know yet, but I'm willing to tell them. I believe they'll understand. After all, that's how I got involved originally. They needed a social worker to help them with some sensitive subjects, and ultimately they had to reveal the existence of magic to me so I could understand what I was dealing with."

"All right Maria," Julie nodded. "If you feel I could be helpful to them, and you think it's safe to let them know you've spoken with me, then I have no objections."

• • • • •

Julie smiled politely at the young woman sitting across from her, "It's quite alright. Take your time."

It was her first time meeting the new client. Julie knew she was a referral from Maria, and was almost definitely someone from their coven. She certainly dressed the part. 

The young woman looked to be in her mid-twenties, and was dressed all in black. She wore leggings, a comfortable dress with a short skirt, and ankle-boots. Her jet-black hair was long, hanging down almost to her waist, and it was perfectly straight. She wore rather severe black make-up, and had chunky silver jewelry in her stretched earlobes. Her skin was almost fair enough to be thought of as pale, but her eyes were an intense blue.

The woman gave her an embarrassed smile, "Sorry. Just dealing with a bit of nerves I suppose. First time jitters?"

"I understand," Julie nodded. "It's quite common, the first session is really about getting to know each other. Not everyone is comfortable enough to jump right in and discuss difficult topics with a stranger."

She added, "Just take your time. It's about your own comfort level, we'll go at whatever pace you're comfortable with."

"Maria Watson recommended you," the young woman mentioned, for the third time. "She said we can trust you with some ah, very delicate subjects?"

Julie nodded again, "Yes. There are laws I must follow of course, regarding client confidentiality. Above and beyond that I have sworn an oath to keep your secrets."

The goth woman nodded, then adjusted her posture slightly on the sofa. She took a deep breath, then looked up at Julie. 

She seemed to have suddenly gotten over her anxiety, she appeared to be relaxed and confident now as her eyes moved up and down over Julie. Then she stated, "I'm here to talk about the loss of some loved ones. Two were fairly recent, and others in the past."

"I see," Julie replied, watching her client. "Where would you like to begin?"

There was another pause as the woman seemed to be considering her words. 

Finally she continued, "The most recent one is perhaps least pressing. My sister has been taken. I know who has her, but I'm not sure yet what to do about it. Or if I should do anything at all. My sister is a strong woman and she's very resourceful, she may well turn up safe and sound on her own at some point."

Julie fought to keep her expression neutral. She found it hard to believe someone would be so calm while discussing what sounded like their sister's abduction. Before she could comment or question, her client continued.

"The other losses weigh much more heavily on my conscience. I lost my children." She sighed, and her expression revealed some deep pain. "I did my best to keep them safe, but when they needed me most I was distracted. I wasn't there for them, and they were lost."

Julie sighed to herself. She knew the loss of a child was one of the most difficult tragedies for a parent to overcome. Losing more than one would have been devastating. 

"I'm so sorry for your loss," she said in a soft, compassionate tone. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

The young woman nodded slightly. Her expression was still pained, but her eyes took on a slightly faraway look as she recalled the memories. "It was March in the year fourteen-hundred and five, by your reckoning. The Glyndŵr rebellion was in its fifth year. My children lived in a small community along the border between Wales and England, and they numbered three hundred and twenty-eight."

Julie felt her mouth go dry and a chill ran up her spine. She tried to keep her expression neutral, and tried not to stare at the young woman sitting across from her. 

Her client kept talking, "I worry that my judgement today may be affected by that loss six centuries ago. I have more children now, but they only number ten. There were thirteen, but one was taken from me in November, and two others turned their backs on me in December."

She sighed and shook her head slightly, "I worry that I may over- or under-react to threats today, because I remain haunted by those losses in the past."

Julie nodded slightly as she watched her client. Her mouth was still dry, and she was trying to keep control of her emotions. She gulped slightly and asked, "I'm sorry... What did you say your name was?"

The goth woman looked at her and replied, "I'm known by many names, Julie. But for now, you may call me Dôn."

End