For some inexplicable miracle, Milk arrived at the duplex on time. She parked her motorcycle and approached the door. She knocked and, surprisingly, Fang came out to greet her. There was no trace of Mousse anywhere. She wore the same outfit as their last appointment: a very formal black dress with a shiny cross necklace. The white tiger excused her daughter Mousse’s absence. The rebellious teen tiger was at a slumber party.
Fang took Milk’s hand and led her to the familiar living room. Although Fang had done her best to make the place look clean, it was obvious that a heated argument had taken place before Milk arrived. Some of the sofa cushions were scattered on the floor, and in a corner lay the remains of a broken picture frame.
Milk didn’t want to ask about it. Fang simply ignored the mess while making herself comfortable in the armchair. She picked up her notebook and pencil from the center table and crossed her legs. On this occasion, the tiger’s iconic smile was smaller. Her eyes remained nearly closed, but the bags beneath them were prominent.
“So, my dear Milk, can we begin our therapy session with a question?” asked the white tiger while opening the notebook and laying the pencil on top of it. “Can you tell me how you met Muzzle?”
“Sure, Doctor Fang,” said the cow girl while settling on the sofa. “Muzzle and I met at a friend’s house. She was the soul of the party—unpredictable and full of energy. I was the typical shy, closeted queer girl with strict religious parents who went everywhere in a long skirt.
“But even though I kept to myself most of the time, Muzzle couldn’t stop staring at me. She knew I was easy prey, and like a small lamb, I let myself be hunted by the big wolf. We kissed a little in a small room of the house, then drove to her place. When I woke up the next morning, I had given my first kiss and lost my virginity.
“I left her house happy but sad at the same time because I thought what we did was just a casual hookup. But my thoughts changed when I received a message from her that same day. She wanted to meet me at her favorite bar. I said yes immediately, and a few days later we had our first formal date. After the bar, we went on a second date at the local carnival. We shared a smoothie.
“After that, we became a couple. We cuddled constantly, watched movies at her apartment, argued sometimes, and slowly planned our life together. We were very happy for two whole years. Our love was so strong that we finally decided to marry, even if it went against our families’ wishes. Disinherited and alone, we worked hard to save enough money for our dream wedding.
“But it all came crashing down when I found some chats on Muzzle’s phone. One day she left her iPhone unattended in the bathroom, and I found her WhatsApp messages with a bisexual wolf. I raised hell, and we shouted at each other for hours. I was totally determined to leave her at that moment, but I don’t remember how she convinced me to stay. I guess I really didn’t want to break up with her for any reason, even if it hurt my heart.
“We went to couples therapy and moved on with our lives. We continued with the wedding plans and did everything right. We were able to pay for all the wedding expenses and set a date: February 4th. Our happiness only grew with each passing day.
“Then it all ended abruptly. One night when we weren’t sleeping together, out of nowhere Muzzle sent me a short breakup message and blocked me right away. No explanations, nothing. Just an ‘I’m sorry for everything.’
“I went catatonic for a week and starved myself for a month. My life wasn’t only destroyed—I had lost the only person I’d ever loved and trusted. I lost my will to live and let depression take control of me.
“That’s the whole story that happened before I desperately contacted you. Doctor Fang, please understand my situation. I really want Muzzle back with me,” said Milk as a single tear fell from her right eye.
Fang went silent for a while. Her predator eyes filled with tears. Her permanent smile disappeared for the first time. Her lips turned down, her mouth nearly closed, and her teeth chattered.
The white tiger slowly left the armchair and hugged Milk. Milk wrapped both arms around the psychiatrist’s body. They shared tears and emotions for over half an hour.
When the commotion was over, they both returned to their seats. Fang cleaned her tears with a handkerchief.
“I’m so sorry... I just become very emotional every time my patients tell their stories. I can’t stop myself from putting myself in their shoes,” said the white tiger while taking notes in her notebook.
“Don’t worry, Doctor Fang. It makes me happy that someone wants to hear my story and help me,” said Milk while looking at the floor.
“Now that we finally have the entire context, I need to ask you another question. Taking into account all the events of the last two years, I want to know your theory about how your relationship went astray. To put it simply, what went wrong?” asked Fang.
“Being honest with you, I believe we were both at fault. Muzzle might have cheated, but I have to admit that I was a very possessive girlfriend. This was my first and only relationship ever. I was overzealous and wanted to be in control all the time. I understand that sooner or later she would feel overwhelmed,” replied Milk while focusing on one of the paintings in the living room.
“I see. Making yourself accountable is the first step to changing your situation,” said Fang as her characteristic smile returned. “I must ask you one last question before I tell you the reason behind all the things we’ve done and discussed in the last three weeks. Please remember everything that happened when we were at the gym and think about how that relates to your relationship with Muzzle. Do you see any patterns?”
“I guess both things are about how I saw Muzzle and thought about her body,” replied Milk as her face turned red.
“You’ve nailed it! You’re a smart girl. All those activities in the gym had a purpose—to analyze those first emotions that formed when you first met. We need to gather all that information to understand the expectations and the type of relationship you had for those two years. We need to go deeper, and for that we’ll do another activity next week: a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant. It’s on me,” said Fang while closing her notebook and standing up.
They both shook hands and bid farewell at the house’s front door. Milk silently headed to her motorcycle while the stars dotted the night sky. She was worried about her psychiatrist. That poor tiger lady clearly had some rough problems of her own. She herself wasn’t religious at all, but she wanted to pray for her before going to bed.
While Milk got on her motorcycle and drove to the main road, Fang watched her from the front windows of the house. She sobbed loudly while taking a shot of Absolut Vodka from her tumbler glass.
