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Chapters (67)
  1. Big Boned
  2. CONTENTS
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. One Month Later
  60. Acknowledgments
  61. About the Author
  62. Copyright
  63. About the Publisher
  64. Backad 1
  65. Backad 2
  66. Backad 3
  67. Backad 4

Slay the day. I smiled. It was so cheesy, but we loved saying it to each other. The conversation with the guys had made me feel a little less lost and I started typing another message.

LORI: Hi, my name is Lori. I got your number from Dr. Finkelstein. I’ve just moved to Cape Town and she recommended you as a therapist. Wondering where you are and if you have any time to see me?

I started to slip my phone back into my bag, not anticipating an immediate response. But it beeped.

DR. STRIDE: Lori! Of course. I’ve heard great things about you from Pamela. I’d love to see you. How’s tomorrow afternoon at 3:00?

LORI: I’m not sure I can make this week, I have to look after my brother in the afternoons at the moment. What about next week?

DR. STRIDE: You’re welcome to bring him.

LORI: I’m not sure

DR. STRIDE: There’s plenty to do here. I have a huge garden he can explore

I looked at her message and paused. I always dreaded this moment, when I had to explain it. Explain him. And it always felt wrong, as if I was betraying Zac, disrespecting his right to privacy. But that’s the thing with autism, sometimes it’s impossible to hide.

LORI: My brother doesn’t like stranger’s homes. He’s not very comfortable in them. He’s on the autism spectrum.

DR. STRIDE: No problem. Whatever suits you

Smiley face? This woman didn’t sound like a normal therapist at all.

LORI: I’ll ask my mom whether she can look after Zac tomorrow and get back to you later

DR. STRIDE: Perfect. I look forward to working together

What were the chances that my mom wasn’t busy tomorrow afternoon with some important meeting/advert/eyebrow lift? Since coming here, looking after Zac seemed to have become my responsibility. Back home we’d had an au pair three times a week, but now it was just me, and my mom was hardly home anymore either. I loved spending time with Zac, but school was going to get busy and I wasn’t going to be able to do that every day.