“What is it called? I like it.” Lake half whispered.

“It’s Orange Sandlewood, smells great right? In a minute you’ll hear some Ludovico Einaudi, I got sick of the rainforest after my first year in practice.”

Lake breathed deeply, letting air travel into his nose down to his chest and out his mouth. Just like he was supposed to.

“I never got the whole listening to the ocean and rainforest, those places can’t be calming, filled with wild animals that want to eat you.”

“I wouldn’t hold it against them. We’re unwelcome people invading their homes. Tearing down trees to make ugly chairs.” The good doctor smiled at Lake, in the way that let him know small talk was over “Speaking of unwelcome people, last time we talked, you said your father had mentioned coming to visit.”

Lake let himself breathe again. Closing his eyes focusing on sandlewood and Einaudi.

“He had mentioned it yeah. “

“And?”

“I said no.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Do you want to elaborate on why? Or maybe how you felt after, how you feel now?”

Lake breathed again, his lungs always felt so clear after his appointments. All of this damn breathing.

The Orange Sandlewood must have seeped into his lungs by now.

“I said no. He emails me for the first time in three years, who emails anymore anyway, calls me a name that isn’t mine and says he’s coming down for business. ‘Might as well stay at my place’. “ Lake only hears the scratching of The Good Doctor’s fancy pen in response.

“I’d pictured seeing him before this, yknow, I pictured how angry I’d be, how I’d give him the biggest talking down in history. Show him how good I have it without him.” , Lake paused and swallows the lump in his throat. “My dog would hate him.”

This makes The Good Doctor pause and look up from her fancy pen and stationary.

“ Benji?” Benji has been a highlight in many of their sessions.

“Yeah. The shelter has said from the beginning that he’s jumpy, my dad would scare him shitless. Benji doesn’t deserve that.”

“I see.”

“I don’t need him to see I have it good. I know I do. I have a dog who’s tail wags because I make him happy. I have people who support me and who I support. I have a life. I have a life that I don’t need him to approve of. And I don’t need to rub it in his face either. I don’t need anything from him.