Deciding to grab the bull by its horn, Vanessa called the therapist Nikita had recommended and made an appointment at Dr Mathis’s earliest convenience. She had been nervous and had actually dialed the number and hung up three times when it was answered. If the doctor’s office had a caller’s ID, they probably thought they were dealing with a mad person. But on the fourth attempt, she had slowly inhaled and exhaled, then said hello when someone at the other end of the line had picked up. The receptionist had been cheerful… overly so. While Vanessa knew it was her job to be pleasant to callers, she felt nauseated by how happy the receptionist sounded. But when she indicated that Dr Mathis was in and would be willing to speak with her over the phone, Vanessa was pleasantly surprised by the sta
