“That was then. Today is today. How’s the dating going?” Jessica asked. “If you don’t mind my asking? I have to live vicariously.”

“Can we like…” Amy clenched her hands again. “Stop pretending?”

“Pretending?” Jessica asked.

“Or dodging around the big elephant in the room? Victoria. I saw her for the first time in a while last night, and now you reach out? I’ve been talking to Carol and she mentioned you were Victoria’s therapist. I’d know even if it wasn’t her, so don’t get her in trouble.”

“That’s not what I’m here to do. I don’t intend to get her into trouble.”

“But you are here because of Victoria. She hasn’t even talked to me or looked me in the eye, but I got an invitation to the same barbecue she did, and she flipped out. So… so much that I’m sure she turned around and went to the Wardens and told them how scary and dangerous I am, and made demands. And maybe you all know it’s ridiculous, but you have to do your due diligence.”

“I can’t talk to you about her. She’s a former patient and it would be breaching her boundaries.”

“If I sound angry,” Amy said, shrinking down a bit, arms folded over one another on the railing, “I’m not angry at you. Just… all of this. And that’s probably dangerous to say, because you’ll have paper-pushers go over every word of this conversation with a fine toothed comb, highlighting every word that suggests I’m dangerous. Angry’s gotta be a big one.”

“That’s not what I’m doing. If there are any recording devices, they’re as big a surprise to me as they are to you.”

“Passing on a message then?” Amy asked, her voice hollow. “Go away, stay away, I’m a terrible, horrible monster? I couldn’t hear all of it, but I heard bits. She treated Carol like a monster for just associating with me.”

“No messages,” Jessica said. “I think she has made it clear she doesn’t want any contact or relationship, sisterly or otherwise. That extends to sending or receiving messages through middlemen.”

“Right,” Amy said, her voice terse.

“I think she has gone to great effort to keep her distance from you, to avoid the same events, associated people, and places. Drawing only from my own conclusions, I think that is incredibly hard on her. The kindest thing you might be able to do is put in a similar degree of effort, to maintain that distance and separation of your respective lives.”

“You asked about my dating life earlier. As a colleague?”

“I did. But as a colleague, I’m hoping you’ll at least acknowledge what I just said.”

“I will, but… let me say stuff first.”

Jessica nodded, sipping her coffee.