Carefully

            “All I want to do is take care of you,” said Albert.

            “You can hardly take care of yourself,” said Molly.
           
            Albert looked away from Molly’s pretty face and her icy blue eyes.

            “I think that if I could take care of you, then, maybe, I could take care of myself better,” said Albert.

             Molly sighed and cleared her throat.

            “That sounds a little, I don’t know…co-dependent,” said Molly.

 

            Albert shrugged. He had been hoping this conversation would go better. Instead of Molly falling into his arms and begging him in her sweet yet raspy voice to be her caretaker forever, she was jilting him. He had not expected that.

             “It’s not co-dependent. It’s cooperation. It’s sharing and working together for a common goal,” said Albert.

            “What’s the common goal then,” asked Molly.
            “To see the world together, while holding hands. Gazing out over the oceans together while hugging, to make love under some giant redwood as it rains gently from above,” said Albert.

            “I don’t think we really share a common goal Albert,” said Molly.

             A timer on Molly’s desk dinged.

 

            “It looks like we’ve come to the end of our hour Albert. So here’s what I’d like you to work on for our next session. Please try to find a real positive goal and work on ways of achieving it. It can be something very small, like completing that painting you told me about,” said Molly.

            “Okay Doc, I will,” said Albert.

             Albert rose from the couch and headed toward the door and exited. His head was buried in his chest and Molly could feel his sadness in the room. Molly stood from behind her desk and went to the couch where Albert had been lying. She rested her head in the spot where Albert’s had been.

            “Oh Albert, maybe one day. One day,” said sighed.