Going Spare – Daniel 62

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[Old back story is here: Story so far at 30 Nov 2020 and read more recent Daniel episodes especially this one.]

[Other back story through in-links.]

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Daniel was looking at the screen a little puzzled.

“You’re saying we should get back together?” he asked. “Or that we shouldn’t?”

“Well, that’s entirely your decision, isn’t it?” said Davina Thockle.

“Our decision,” put in Chrissy from the other part of the screen.

Daniel was feeling more than a bit pressured by this entire situation. In the last few days a number of conversations had got a bit out of hand, leading to him now being in a zoom call with his ex-wife and their choice of - not marriage guidance but relationship - counsellor. Daniel was amused (or something) by the idea that this kind of counselling service could still continue across zoom, but there again anything went across zoom these days, and if you could get a relationship to work when you were staring at each other’s face on a screen maybe there was more chance that you could get it to work when you were in person. Or maybe, he thought again, there was more chance you couldn’t.

Either way he had committed to doing at east one session to see where it ended up and at the moment it wasn’t going too badly. They’d not yet said anything he disagreed with and more encouraging than that, it didn’t appear that Chrissy was going to drop him in it or blame him for everything. At least not yet.

“When you think about getting back together,” posed Davina, “What are your immediate feelings? Are you happy, sad, uncertain, certain - what do you think?

Daniel drew a blank. He really didn’t feel anything, although he sensed this was not something he should share.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “It’s a tricky one, isn’t it?”

“Do you not sense anything at all?” asked Davina.

“Bit of a shame if there’s nothing…” pondered Chrissy.

“No,” said Daniel, defensively, “It just means I haven’t really decided. Or nothing’s completely made up my mind yet. “Do you feel anything?”

“I feel…” said Chrissy. “Blue.”

“Regretful?” asked Davina.

“No, no,” said Chrissy. “The colour blue. It’s quite a dark rich Navy blue. Only way I can describe it. I feel that colour.”

Daniel sighed involuntarily.

“It’s something!” protested Chrissy. “Don’t roll your eyes at me, please.”

 

“I didn’t roll my eyes,” said Daniel.

“You did, I saw you,” said Chrissy.

“I don’t roll my eyes and even if I did you wouldn’t be able to tell on this screen.”

“Davina - do you think he rolled his eyes?”

“I really couldn’t say, but I think we’re straying from the point.”

“The rest of his face was doing what it does when he rolls his eyes so honestly I can’t see how else…”

“This is just the kind of thing you do, isn’t it?”

“Me? I do? I’m not rolling my eyes…”

“I meant you accusing me. That’s what you do.”

“When have I accused you of doing something you didn’t do? That’s not accusing, that’s pointing out. Highlighting. Being honest about what you’re doing that is so annoying.”

“If I might interject here,” said Davina, “I feel like we’re straying a little. Can we talk about where we all think we are now. I mean that in the broadest sense. Where are you both?”

Daniel decided to be honest. He said everything was feeling a bit rushed and strained and like they were primarily thinking about getting back together for the sake of Daisy. This was fine as it was but didn’t necessarily mean he and Chrissy should get together. The problem was, he said, getting back together was obviously an emotional thing whereas Daisy, in terms of their relationship, was more a practical matter between them. It was sort of that they both loved her individually but they didn’t know how to love her as a couple. And maybe that’s because they weren’t a couple. Or at least they needed more practice to be one.

Davina thanked Daniel for his insight and honestly in bringing his perspective to the table. It sounded like a complicated situation where at least having that awareness would bring about the start of change.

“And you, Chrissy,” said Davina. “Where are you at, at the moment?”

“I’m in the spare bedroom and not allowed out, apart from toilet breaks,” she said.

There was a slight pause.

“I’m sorry?” Asked Davina.

“I’m in the spare bedroom…”

“She moved in over the weekend,” said Daniel. “I didn’t want her to but I was over-ruled. By my own child. On a thing you really wouldn’t think you could be over-ruled on but there you go. And you can come out apart from toilet breaks, don’t be so dramatic.”

Davina paused trying to calculate her next move. She suspected they were going to need more sessions that one a week.