All I'm Asking - Extra Scene #1
Extra Scene #1
From a November conversation...I'm not entirely sure what the original message stated, but I do remember the idea of Naomi considering Leyanna's anxiety earlier in the story. This is how it might have looked like (note: this scene is very mildly spoilerish)
To: Jessamine Lewis <steamyenergy@gmail.com >
From: Naomi Lewis <myownperson02@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Unrequited lust
Okay. Sorry to kind of… cut out on you with that last message, although I realize with email it’s not quite the same as doing something like that via text or, you know, hanging up on you.
I had to process. It’s not like I’ve never truly understand Leyanna’s anxiety - I do get it. Seriously, it annoys me so much when people say you can’t empathize or grasp someone’s problems/issues, etc if you’ve never experienced it yourself. My heart always hurt for Leyanna when she tells me about her anxieties and situations where it’s gotten really bad. I’ve understood the stomachaches and when they were terrible enough for her to ask to stay home, I’ve let her.
But.
That jolt of having a personal experience with the physical manifestation. Wow.
And she feels this kind of thing all the time. It’s no wonder she doesn’t have an ulcer.
I have been a shitty parent. I need to take her to the doctor. I should have taken her to one ages ago for this issue instead of thinking she should only rely on general coping strategies. God, she must hate me for not taking her seriously enough to get her some real help.
And you - you’ve been telling me this the whole time. Why am I such a brickhead?
So many of the kids I teach online are taking online classes for this very reason except I thought… I guess I assumed they were incapacitated by their social anxieties. But isn’t that what staying home with a horrible stomachache is? An incapacitation? Why am I totally okay with my students dealing with all of this through online schooling, but not my own daughter? Why do I think she’s “above” all that?
To: Naomi Lewis <myownperson02@gmail.com>
From: Jessamine Lewis <steamyenergy@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: re: Unrequited lust
Mimi, you’re not a shitty parent. And if it helps, any, Jax has never seen a need to do more for Leyanna, either. “I know he’s my brother, but…” if you’re shitty, then he is, too. Look, I know I’ve nudged you from time to time (yes, NUDGED - you know damn well when I shove something in your face) about looking more into Leyanna’s anxiety, but it sure is easy for me to psychoanalyze from 2,000 miles away. I thought Faith was being dramatic when it took so long for her to recover from what should have been a clean and simple break and now I cry every morning in the shower so she won’t see how awful I feel about it.
You know your kid best. Maybe now you know her a little better. Does this mean she needs more help than you thought? Maybe. Better to realize now, before it gets worse.