angel talk with my therapist...

"Let's get off the murder kick & talk about something more uplifting. How is your love life Mr. Astle?"

"Call me Rob please. Calling me Mr. Astle makes me feel old."

"Sure Rob, I'll do it. Tell me about your love life."

I'd guess Lacey (my Zoom shrink) is thirty...thirty one maybe. It's hard deciphering staring at a screen. One thing is for sure. She is considerably younger than me.

"Not much to report on in that category Lacey."

"Are there any prospects?"

"There's one; she's way out of my league though. It's all wishful thinking on my part."

"What do you like about her Rob? Where did you meet her?"

"She's from the mid west & visits her mother frequently at LaSolana. I think she's a high quality person & those are a rarity nowadays."

"It sounds like you are falling for her Rob."

"Already fell Lacey," is my rapid reply.

"Tell me more about her." 

"She's wonderful, caring, hard working, beautiful (both inside & out). You want to know something else?"

"Let's hear it."

"Her mother, who is eighty six years old, is my BFF."

"Did you say her eighty six year old mother is your BFF?"

"That's exactly what I said."

"How did that happen?"

"We're neighbors & she's a wonderful person as well. The apple does not fall far from the tree with this one."

Revealing to Lacey my BFF is the eighty six year old mother of my crush intrigues her:

"I always tell Kendra if mama was twenty years younger & I was twenty years older; we'd be a thing."

"Do you really say that to her?"

"Yep," is my honest answer.

"What's her response?"

"She smiles & calls me sweet."

"Do you think you'll ever have a chance with her."

"I already told you she is out of my league."

"Does it bother you she is out of your league?"

"It is what it is nowadays Lacey," adding with a heavy sigh, "May I ask you a personal question? It's something I've been wondering about since our first session."

"Sure Mr. Astle...excuse me. I mean sure Rob."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty seven," is her response with a smile.

"Are you married, boyfriend, children?"

"I have a girlfriend & as soon as she finishes her post grad we are going to get married & adopt a child together."

Not that I can tell what a lesbian looks like for sure; take that back; it sticks out in some cases. Lacey appears delicate from what I can deduce by staring at a monitor. It's unlikely she plays the masculine role in her relationship.

"May I ask you another question Lacey?"

"No, you've already asked two," stating firmly, "I'm the one who gets to ask the questions. Now let's get back to your crush. Have you told her how you feel about her?"

"I have in a roundabout way. She knows it & is polite about it. I try not to be creepy about things. There's never going to be any romance between us; but I truly adore her & cherish our friendship. So I'm not going to do anything to screw it up."

"Rob, I'm going to share an early assessment with you. When we first started our sessions you came off as abrupt & half crazy. All you talked about is how you wanted to murder people. Now that we're making progress the caring side of you is starting to show."

When my twenty seven year old shrink referred to me as caring; it made me feel warm & fuzzy...I'd probably ask her out if she was straight.

"Do you want to try an exercise?"

"What is it?"

"Use one word that encompasses your crush & her mother...just one word."

"Angels," is my immediate response, "I'm glad you asked that question because the other day I watched them walk down the sidewalk & out to their car. To me; it looked like two angels walking side by side."

"Angels," she says with a sigh through the monitor, "You are smitten Rob."

"No doubt about it Lacey."