To Adam it felt odd to even approach the couch, threateningly Freudian as it seemed to him. In all his years of high school torment - and even now that his foremost childhood bully had returned, bringing with him all the baggage Adam had thought he'd left behind - he had never sought counseling. In Adam's family you played the hand you were dealt: No complaints, no self pity, just hard work and perseverance. It left him uncertain how he felt about this stranger, familiar though she seemed. So, clearing his throat, he took the proffered seat, leaving his black boots on.
"A paramedic, too," he added, smiling softly, hoping she would read no edge in the slight correction. "And I guess it's ten years, now." He shook his head, exhaling on a sigh. "Time flies."