Page 84 of Daddy Erik
“Not yet,” she says gently. “But you won’t always feel this way.”
I nod, even though I don’t fully believe it yet. Erik squeezes my hand once, slow and reassuring.
Dr. Alvarez glances at him. “Erik, how has it been for you, supporting Claire this week?”
ERIK
I’ve never been scared of anything the way I’ve been scared of losing her. Bullets, knives, storms, enemies, easy.
Watching Claire fight nightmares she didn’t choose? Terrifying.
I clear my throat. “It’s been… hard. Not because of her. Because I can’t fix this.”
Dr. Alvarez nods softly. “Support doesn’t mean fixing. It means being present.”
I stare at my hands. They’re scarred. Strong. Built for protection. But these last few weeks, I’ve learned how useless strength feels against invisible wounds.
I look at Claire. “I just want her to feel like herself again.”
Claire’s eyes glisten. “I don’t even know who that is right now.”
“That’s okay,” Dr. Alvarez says. “Identity after trauma often shifts. You might discover new parts of yourself, some painful, some powerful. Healing isn’t about going back. It’s about going forward with the tools you’re learning.”
I swallow hard. I’d tear the world in half for her. But here, in this office, I’m learning that sometimes the bravest thing I can do is not tear anything apart at all.
DR.ALVAREZ
Claire’s hand hasn’t left Erik’s since the session started. It’s a good sign. Her breathing is steadier. Her eyes hold focus longer. She’s healing slowly. As all real healing must.
I speak softly. “Claire, would you be open to trying a grounding exercise together?”
She nods.
“Place your feet flat on the floor.” She does.
“Now close your eyes. Name one thing you can feel that is safe.”
She hesitates. Then: “Erik’s hand.”
“Good. Something else.”
“The carpet,” she whispers. “It’s soft.”
“And one more."
She breathes. “…My heartbeat.”
There it is. The first time she’s acknowledged her body as a place she can reside in, not a prison, not a machine, not an object.
I smile. “That’s beautiful progress.”
Claire opens her eyes slowly. Erik looks like he’s trying not to cry.
I continue, “We will keep working on grounding, body safety, emotional regulation, nervous system rewiring, and trauma processing. Claire, you’ve committed to weekly therapy and an emergency session option. That’s exactly what you need. You’re doing everything right.”
She blinks hard. “I don’t feel like I’m doing anything right.”
“That’s because your nervous system is still healing. But your actions, your willingness to talk, to show up, to feel? Those are the foundations of recovery.”
