Lucia tended not to worry about the future of her patients, but whenever she received a call from a family member, her heart tends to skip beats and her mouth would get dry. That sick sensation has only happened once in her life, Veronica Calloway, a young woman with anxiety, ADHD, and eating disorders that she took too far that call, remembers it as if were yesterday.

Michael Calloway had called her, the older sibling had been the one to take the sixteen-year-old to therapy since he was worried about his sister's behavior. Michael was crying when Lucia answered the phone, and just there, she knew what happened, the teenager got ill from the lack of vitamins her body needed, no one seemed to notice that her anorexia got to a point that her body wasn't producing the energy she needed, and how her heart was slowing down as a consequence of her actions.

Lucia didn't know what to do, there were moments — as she would've expected, where she blamed herself, constantly telling herself she should've done more, she should've looked deeper into this. But, she didn't.

Michael kept the contact with Lucia, he worried that even a psychologist could go mad and do something insane, they were going through a similar process with the same person, and all they could do was be there for each other. That was a mistake, Lucia knew that, she knew that if she started hanging around with Michael, something might happen, and so it did, the details are a bit fuzzy, but waking up beside him naked in an apartment it wasn't hers, well, she knew what she had done.

Michael and Lucia were clear in something, no feelings, no romantic relationship just contact in case of an emotional downpour. And that is how it has been till the day. Lucia could say that Michael is her best friend, he knows every detail about her, the good, the bad, the crazy, and the scary. Michael never judged, he understood, he listened.

He listened to every problem and every feeling she had after a very lousy week, the drinks they shared on a Saturday afternoon were filled with laughter and sometimes, the occasional serious talk. Lucia was in peace.

"Please tell me you haven't had breakfast just yet," Michael said as soon as the phone was answered by Lucia, the brunette chuckled and said no. "Good, cause before you head to work, you are heading over, I just made a new dish and some mimosas, and I need your opinion on it."

"I'll be there in twenty." Lucia said and thanked him for the invite, in fact, she was starving, and work wasn't starting until an hour past twelve, and her phone showed only ten in the morning, she had time to enjoy breakfast. She just had four appointments today, which was amazing considering it was Friday and she needed the break.

Michael's place was a bit further than twenty minutes, probably half an hour if she went walking to his place, a surprising fact she found out when they hooked up, they didn't live too far away from each other, which made it easier for them to see each other and talk if needed. Which usually occurred every Wednesday and Weekend.

The brunette grabbed her bag, seeing her reflection in the mirror, making sure there was no stain on her green blouse or dark-colored jeans, she took a deep look and making sure everything was good, she left her place, the heels echoing on the marble floor of the building as she made way to the elevator and out the place.

The cozy weather of London hugged her when she was out the door and into the streets, the beautiful blue sky lighted her way to Michael's place, a soft breeze danced through the leaves and birds sang their song that made the young woman smile with every step she took. She greeted the guard at the entrance and took the elevator up to the seventh floor, her eyes scanning each number on the door until she could see numbers 3-4-1, two knocks and the door opened, Michael welcomed her with an apron smudged with different color stains and the strong scent of bacon entered her nostrils.

"Please sit down, I am almost down, I have your hot cocoa ready and the mimosa too, I just need to finish with this bacon and potatoes and your dish is served." Michael was quick in his steps, his eyes moving left and right, if she didn't see this scenario, she would've thought that he had gone insane or something.

"Thank you for inviting me over, is there something I can help you with?" Even though she knew his rules, no one beside him in the kitchen if he was cooking, she still wanted to ask, be of service. And just at that moment, the loud sound of her phone ran from her bag, groaning she searched for it, seeing the nametag on her screen, the word mom plastered, annoyingly she answered and let it on speaker.

"Oh, thank god you answered me this time." Lucia forced a smile at the sound of her mother's voice. "The news I have for you, mija."

"Hi mom, I am doing great, how are you?" She said and mute her microphone ready to let the older woman speak for a while.

"I know you are doing amazing, there's no need to ask you that, but that's not the reason why I called." Lucia let out a scoff at the words of her mother. "You remember Eduardo right? Of course you do, you had a huge crush on him all high school, so, I talked to him mother and I found out that he's going to London for some business trip and needs a tour guide, so I gave him your number." And that was the cherry on top of a whipped cream, letting the microphone back on she interrupted the woman.

"I am sorry, with whose permission so you can give him my number mom?" Crossing her arms over her chest she tried to make sense out of this and calm her anger.

"Mija, you need friends in the city, and possibly a partner, you are already in your thirties and single, no man wants to marry old and have kids when their wife is gray."

"Mom, you crossed a line, you didn't ask me, and maybe I might be busy during the days he comes in or—"

"I haven't even told you when he's arriving there." Lucia wanted to pull her hair out already, she hated the calls she got from the woman who birthed her.

"The problem is that you never asked me first, and told me if I wanted to or anything like that mom, and I am sorry, but you will have to tell Eduardo or his mother that I won't be able to help them."

"I can't do that, I already compromised you next month that you'll pick him up." Lucia's facial expression made Michael chuckle just a bit, her mouth dropped wide that he could've thrown a potato cube and not miss.

"You know what, I gotta go, I am here with Michael, we are gonna have breakfast, and you are in speaker too." Lucia didn't mind telling her until now, she wanted to make her feel embarrassed about this conversation, make her feel conscious and probably have her think before speaking.

"Oh you're still talking to him? That's weird, he's the brother of that depressed girl right?" Lucia wanted to die and kill her mother on the way out.

"Hi Mrs. Castro." Michael happily said lifting his hand as if he was waving to her.

"Oh, hi Mikey, have a good day. Anyways, Lucia remember to pick Eduardo up on the eighteen at the airport." She said before hanging up, the young woman didn't know how to react, there were too many thoughts and emotions happening at once, she had no idea how to accommodate them.

"Michael, I am so sorry about what she said about Vero—"

"Hey, it's okay, I don't take it personally when it comes to your mother, believe me, she's all bark but no bite." He added, leaving the hot food in front of her. "Enjoy it please."

With the best smile on her face, Lucia looked down at the food, watering she craved it all, her stomach rumbled loudly at the scent of each ingredient.

"How busy will your day be?" Now the talking began, as much as Lucia wanted to keep the work talk away, she knew it wouldn't happen, work was constantly with her.

"I got about four appointments? And I finally figured out what one of my patients might have." A proud grunt came from the male as he sat down beside her and waited for a bit of information. "Steven, he came in with amnesia at first and I thought maybe something else, but I made tons of research and our talks gave me more insight of what we could be working, and I came to some conclusions, and my number one hit wonder is, a Sleep Arousal Disorder, I am still debating with that one just for one fact but every tu ing he has shared with me, it matches perfectly, and in second place comes the Night Terrors." She happily explained as the fork kept on feeding her the food.

"Have you ever treated a patient like him?" A shaking head was his response. "It does sound cool though, just be careful, who knows when he's aware he's awake right?" The question brought her back to their first session when Steven told her he didn't know the difference.

Their talks shifted from work to the a fun fact about Michael and how he was back on Tinder to meet up with a woman tomorrow night, and how nervous he was. Lucia didn't know how to feel, she was happy he wanted to date again, but the idea of online dating? That was a bit sketchy if you asked her. The mimosa and hot cocoa were finished and when the clock strikes twelve, Lucia was out of his place and ready to head to work.

First appointment, Steven Grant. Today was the day they would see progress and probably already let the bomb out of what he could have, but Lucia needed a bit more information on his history.

Her office was clean and the light shined behind her curtains, she greeted her assistant, and turned on the A/C as her office tended to get warm. The lights gave an extra shine to her room and the books on her table showed that she had forgotten to put them back on their place the day before and no one had dared to move them.

Time passed and one o'clock came, any minute now she would see Steven walk inside, the shy smile over his lips and the kind soft eyes that showed innocence and tiredness from the previous night. Five minutes turned into twenty and the worry feeling started to happen.

"Beatrice, has Steven called to say he would be running late today?" Lucia asked walking outside her office, the young woman shook her head. "Try calling him, if he doesn't answer you tell me, okay?" As time passed, the brunette decided to spend it doing notes on Steven's chart, and then five more minutes then ten, and no answer.

Maybe he had forgotten, maybe he was asleep, the only thing that really bothered her was the fact that Steven wasn't answering his phone, and of course, Lucia wasn't going to drop everything to go and check on him at his work or living space, that was unethical and also she didn't know where he lived.

Lucia Castro only prayed that he had forgotten and he was alive.