Chapter 2

"I'm a professional. Can you take me to see Dexter now? I need to assess his situation and start planning an intervention as soon as possible," I said.

Aaden hadn't expected her to be so decisive. He paused for a moment, then nodded and led her upstairs.

Dexter's room was down the hall on the second floor, decked out like a fairytale castle, but there was no sign of life inside.

The four-year-old boy was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, scrambling and solving a Rubik's cube again and again, totally unfazed by our arrival.

His profile looked a lot like his mom's from the photos. Honestly, that was actually why I got picked for this gig.

In my last life, the moment I laid eyes on Dexter, my maternal instincts kicked in hard, and my heart ached for him.

I rushed over, trying to hug him, but he shoved me away with surprising force and left scratch marks on my arm.

This time, I just stood at the doorway, kept my distance, and watched him from afar.

"He doesn't talk, and he doesn't look at anyone. The doctors said..." Aaden said.

His voice sounded strained.

"I know," I interrupted him calmly.

"Mr. Goodman, from now until six PM, this will be my session with Dexter. For the sake of the intervention, please don't come in or let the staff disturb us unless it's urgent," I said.

Aaden gave me a complicated look, then nodded and closed the door behind him.

Now it was just me and Dexter in the room.

This time, I didn't eagerly try to talk to him or win him over with toys like I did in my previous life.

I just grabbed a small stool, sat about 10 feet away, and took out my own Rubik's cube, mimicking his actions and turning it again and again, just like he did.

No words, no approaching, no pressure.

I made sure I was just a harmless presence to him.

This is the simplest form of environmental adaptation therapy in behavioral psychology.

First, I needed to let him get used to having me around and help him lower his defenses.

Back then, blinded by love, I made every rookie mistake in the book and wasted so much precious time.

An hour passed, then two, Dexter stayed lost in his own world, and I just kept turning my Rubik's cube, matching his pace, not rushing anything.

By noon, the housekeeper called out softly from the hallway to let me know it was lunchtime.

I got up, walked over to Dexter, and gently set a plate in front of him, with cartoon-shaped dishes and a side of vegetable salad.

Then I went back to my seat, unpacked an identical lunch, and took small bites.

Not a single word passed between us the whole time.

He didn't touch his lunch at all.

I didn't rush him. After finishing my own lunch, I picked up the plates and took them away.

In the afternoon, I switched things up.

I played a calming ocean documentary on my tablet, keeping the volume low, then sat in the corner and read my reference books.

The whole day passed in silence.

At exactly six PM, I got up, gathered my things, and addressed Dexter's back in a matter-of-fact voice, "Dexter, see you tomorrow."

With that, I opened the door and walked out without a second thought.

Aaden was standing right outside, looked like he'd been waiting for a while.

When he saw me, his brows knitted in confusion as he asked, "Did you really just sit there all day?"

He probably expected me to be like his late wife, trying to reach Dexter with endless tenderness and patience, hoping to win him over.

"Mr. Goodman, trust doesn't happen overnight, especially for a kid who's been hurt before," I said.

"If I try to force my way into his world, he'll just build his walls even higher. Today was only the beginning," I added.

"So when are you actually going to get him to talk?" Aaden pressed, clearly unimpressed with this hands-off approach.

"I can't give you a definite timeline," I said.

I met his eyes, calm and steady, neither submissive nor arrogant.

"But I can assure you, every move I make is backed by solid professional principles. If you don't trust me, you can terminate our agreement whenever you want," I added.

With that, I gave him a polite nod, walked past him, and headed straight downstairs.

"Rosemary," Aaden called out suddenly from behind me.

I stopped in my tracks, but didn't turn around.

"Stay for dinner tonight..." There was a subtle note of uncertainty in his voice, like he wasn't sure how I'd respond.

I checked my watch: 6:05.

"Sorry, Mr. Goodman," I said, turning around with a professional smile.

"My workday's over. And as the contract says, dinner with you isn't in my job description," I added.

With that, I didn't bother with his suddenly dark expression and strode out of the villa, the same place that had seen every joy and heartbreak of my past life.