Serena clutching her notebook found herself once again in her therapy room, feeling rather optimistic about what might happen today. She committed to working really hard today, acknowledged and released so many feelings in her writing that she was already reaping the rewards. "You look brighter," Charles remarked as Serena smiled at him. "I feel it; I've had a horrible week, but... I feel good, it's strange" "Not at all, it can happen, how horrible was your week, Serena?" Serena sighed heavily "Ric... My buddy, we're... We're going on a break, plus a call from me... I just didn't want him to get hurt" Serena paused and played with her necklace "I love him, I'm not an idiot, I know that he means well, and he's just...until I have a sense of myself, of my pain, and these sessions end I can't lie and hold onto what I feel Ric doesn't deserve. ..""And what did Ric say?""Well, I'm not sure... I was quite annoyed, he feels this overwhelming desire to protect me, he said I gave up too easily" Serena's voice croaked "We argued.. .. He said some brutal things, there were tears... He finally understood, he agreed with me.... I think everything will be fine" "Do you want Ric back in your life?" "Of course, I just can't be with him while I do this. I don't need a lover right now, I need me... That and I think he knows that I won't give up on our relationship, I just need space" "Good, I'm happy that you could make a decision like that without scolding you for it" Charles smiled "I feel a little guilty, but in the end I need to work on myself and on my pain, on my past" Serena replied courageously believing every word she had just said." I congratulate you for recognizing it "Serena... half of the paper... you never said you were, Serena but what you feel now is the release of that pain you never allowed yourself to feel. You are identifying the your old needs Times have changed and for your sanity and well-being, I need you to let go of your desire to have Thomas back. You can grieve your child, it is perfectly normal to do so, however, to move forward and deal with yours more pain, I need you to do something for me" Serena looked at Charles, almost terrified: she suddenly didn't understand what was happening, and she didn't want to have to give up the memory of Thomas." that you go to a quiet place, just you and I want you to take a balloon. That balloon must represent Thomas and you can read this letter or say something different to the balloon. Then you will let it go...”