Page 72 of Center Sneak

“I’ll help you clean up.” She stands as she rubs her hands on her thighs.

“I’m happy to do it, but you can help if you want.”

We work together, tidying up my kitchen and throwing most of the pots and pans in the sink for later.

“Should I just throw it out?” Lettie points to the blackened turkey on the floor.

I stroll over and lift the pan from the floor and then inspect the culprit. It’s charred on the outside, sure, but I break off the leg, and a little juice squirts out. Yes, she overcooked it, but it’s not too bad. I’ve eaten worse.

“Did you set off the alarm?” I ask, already knowing the answer. I would have gotten an alert.

“No.” She shakes her head rapidly.

“Let’s leave it for now,” I suggest and lead her to my couch in the living room, and we both sit down, but I leave plenty of space between us.

We make eye contact, and she blurts out, “I’m sorry.”

“You’ve already apologized,” I remind her.

She nods once in agreement.

She shuts her eyes; her throat bobs.

For some reason, I feel like she needs to hear these words. “I am neither upset nor mad at you. We are fine.” She opens her eyes. “But I need to know— Do you think I would hurt you becau—”

“I don’t.” She stops me.

“I would never hurt you. You are safe with me.”

She raises her chin, and she nods twice.

“I just…” She slumps her shoulders and lets out a heavy sigh. “I’m too broken.” Her words are soft, just above a whisper.

“Would you like to talk about it?”

She shakes her head fast in response. “I don’t think I can,” she says before she tacks on a “yet.” Her eyes take me in, and she must see something on my face because she asks, “Is that okay?”

“Of course it is.” I pause. “Did Sebastian ever mention what my major was in college?”

She shakes her head.

“Psychology. I love studying the mind and people’s behavior. It’s so fascinating to me. Anyway, in class we learned about neuroplasticity. Are you familiar?”

She shakes her head again, eyes still focused on me.

“Neuroplasticity is the brain’s capacity to change and adapt throughout life by reorganizing its structure and functions, and it enables learning and recovery from injuries. It’s fascinating because some people think that you cannot recover from trauma, and that’s simply not true. People are very adaptable. You are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

She stares at me without breaking eye contact as she scoots closer to me on the couch.

“You think so?” The light back in her eyes has returned.

“Yeah.”

“And you’re not upset that Thanksgiving is ruined?”

“I think we have different definitions of the word ruined. That turkey was barely black, plus you made so many sides. I think I smelt apple pie too.” Her nod confirms that last bit.

“Did I ever tell you apple pie is my favorite?”