CHAPTER 58
Dr. Chen greeted them with a knowing smile at their third session.
"How were the dates?" she asked.
"Good," Harper said. "We went to the aquarium last week. A bookstore this week. It's getting easier to just exist together."
"That's progress. Now I want to push you both a little further." Dr. Chen pulled out two sheets of paper. "Today's exercise is about vulnerability. I'm going to ask you each to share a fear. Not about external threats or your relationship. But a deep, personal fear you've carried since childhood."
Harper's stomach clenched. "Why?"
"Because true intimacy requires knowing each other's wounds. Understanding where the fear comes from helps you respond to it with compassion instead of defensiveness." Dr. Chen handed them each a paper. "Take five minutes. Wr
