PROLOGUE:
Fear itself.
Marian

"I don't get it," Grandpa grunted as he shoved more steak into his mouth.

"Dad, you don't have to. You just need to respect her boundaries," Mommy emphasized. It's what the nice therapy lady said, that I'm scared of this thing where I don't like it when people get too close to me.

"It's because you coddle her too much!" Grandpa burst out, and I flinched when his hand went by me from his outburst.

"Finn!" Grandma shouted.

Please stop.

Their shouting is scaring me.

"Kids these days are fucking weak. Come here Marian, hug your grandpa," As he went in to grab me, I flinched backwards.

"Dad! Stop it!"

"Stop it," I whimpered, just the thought of him hugging me or the thought of anyone being so close to me in any way making me feel sick.

"Let go! Stop!" I kicked around as his hands grabbed my shoulders, pulling me in and all I felt was my heart drop and my stomach sink.

I don't like this.

I don't like it.

Make it stop.

"See? No big deal," And when he let go, the crawling on my skin didn't stop. I sat frigid, no expression on my face as I felt completely violated as an eleven year old girl.

"She's terrified-! You know what, get out," Mommy growled, surprising grandma and grandpa.

"Katarina, come on. It's rude not to hug your grandpar-"

"Get out! If you can't understand the basic consent of a child, then you don't belong in my home. . .go!" Mommy screamed, her voice in complete rage as grandpa scoffed and fled the house with grandma retreating after him.

"It-it is r-real, m-mommy. I-I don't like it," I stuttered out, shaking as I tried to forget what he had just done.

Why wasn't I respected? Why weren't my boundaries or my diagnosed fear of intimacy taken seriously? Because I was a child?

___________

"So you're saying I can't even let my own parents around her?" Mommy questioned the nice lady.

"Unfortunately, no, Miss. Yolona. If they do not respect her personal boundaries and her diagnoses, they will not be allowed around her. Unless they are willing to come to therapy sessions or respect her wishes, then they need to stay out. If we do hear or see that they've endangered her safespace or triggered a panic attack, Child Protective Services may have to get involved," The nice lady explained, calming me. Grandma was a nice lady, but grandpa was mean.

"So I can never see my parents?"

"You can, she can't," The nice lady pointed to me.

"Is that going to be a problem?"

"No! No. It's no problem at all," Mommy quickly told her.

Unfortunately, it was a problem after all.

One I've had to endure for five years.

///
Hope you've enjoyed the prologue! This story will cover the Fear of Intimacy and the fear of abandonment, as well as why she's developed such a huge fear at such a young age. Can Miguel help her? Or will Sam get in the way?