Derick

The water wasn’t refreshing like the ads promised. Sparkling, yes. Refreshing, no. He felt gassy and decided to switch to gin with crushed ice. That never failed to smooth him out.

The week ended on a harsh note: his best employee leaving with only an email notice as he marched out the door. How could he earn when his only good salesperson walked out like that? All this agitation was why he needed to relax. He really needed a Xanax or two to completely mellow out, but his girlfriend kept hiding them. She was vehemently against medicines for mental problems. Loraine thought he was weak-minded, though she always couched it in non-threatening terms, and he thought she spent too much time reading wellness blogs.

The truth is, he didn’t know how to wind down naturally. He tried meditation for a week just to appease Loraine. He also attempted to distract himself with other hobbies, but that ended up in a bit too much online porn. Perhaps it was time to consider talking to a professional again? He’d done therapy after his marriage, but he didn’t take it seriously enough.

But for tonight, he had to switch off. One more pill and one more gin and one night of deep sleep. He would call a therapist on Monday. First thing.

© 2021 Jeff E. Brown. All rights reserved.