As the weeks passed, Dr. Jones continued to visit Laya, each session peeling back layers of her guarded exterior. She began to share snippets of her life—her love for music, her dreams of becoming a singer, and the friendships that had once brought her joy. But the shadows of her past loomed large, and it was clear that something had deeply affected her.
One afternoon, as they sat in her room, Laya finally opened up about the incident that had shattered her world. "It was my dad's friend," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He… he touched me when I was alone with him. I didn't tell anyone because I thought it was my fault."
Dr. Jones felt his heart ache for her. "Laya, it's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong. What happened to you is not okay, and you deserve to be heard and supported."
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she spoke, the weight of her silence finally breaking free. "I just feel so lost. I don't know how to be normal again."
Dr. Jones leaned forward, his voice steady and reassuring. "Healing takes time, but you're not alone in this. We can work through it together."
In that moment, he felt a renewed sense of purpose. Laya's pain resonated with him, igniting a fire within that he thought had long extinguished. He was reminded of why he had chosen this profession—to help those who felt lost find their way back to themselves.