Chapter 17: Venturing Out
Weeks turned into months, and a slow, agonizingly deliberate shift began to take hold of the estate. The therapy sessions were brutal. Tears were shed, ancient resentments were dragged into the sterile light of the doctor's office, and Arthur was forced to confront the emotional abandonment of his child.
But progress, though slow, was visible. Mateo returned to his private school not as a ticking time bomb, but as a boy learning to navigate his trauma. When a classmate accidentally bumped into his desk, knocking his supplies to the floor, Mateo felt the familiar, fiery surge of panic and rage. But instead of lashing out, he remembered the exercise Dr. Evans had taught him. He closed his eyes, counted to three, and felt his heartbeat steady. He was learning that his emotions were valid, but his reactions were entirely within his control.
