Free Learning to Soar by Bebe Balocca Page B

as ‘a football-loving plumber who loves his wife’. Fair enough , Chloe thought.
    Danielle, on the other hand, looked like she lived at the shopping mall and spent weekends at the beauty parlour. Her heavy makeup was expertly applied. Ash blonde highlights streaked through her artfully teased brown hair. She wore a light pink suit with a cropped, military style jacket, and her manicured fingers sparkled with gems. Danielle is one high-maintenance lady, Chloe ascertained. After providing everyone with bottled water, Damien asked Danielle to describe what had brought her to a therapy session with him.
    She gave Gene a forlorn look and started her tale of woe. “Gene just doesn’t seem to want me anymore,” she began. She described working for his affections—keeping her body in shape, paying attention to the latest styles, having beauty treatments done regularly. She cleaned their home thoroughly and decorated it beautifully. All she expected was some romance from her husband. Were some flowers and moonlight dancing too much to ask for?
    Gene simply shook his head when it was his turn to speak. When pressed, he said, “Look, I came here because Danielle asked me to. She’s everything to me. I tell her that I love her and appreciate her, but it’s not enough for her. I don’t know how to make her happy.” He looked down at his knees. “Maybe I can’t.”
     “Okay, guys, I’d like to you try something,” Damien interjected. Gene and Danielle nodded eagerly. “Gene, I want you to be Danielle. Danielle, you’re Gene. Let’s hear a conversation about Danielle not getting what she wants.” After a few moments of hemming and hawing, Gene threw himself into the game. He was a natural. Chloe smiled at the burly plumber’s ultra-feminine portrayal of Danielle.
    “Honey,” Gene simpered in a high voice. “Look here, I made you a fancy dinner. It took me all day long! I made some weird French beef dish and got some wine, too. I even put candles on the dining room table.”
    “Huh,” Danielle grunted heavily. Chloe suppressed a chuckle at the pig-like sound coming from the dainty, dolled-up lady. “You know I don’t like stuff from France, and I want to watch the game, woman!”
    “But honey,” Gene whined, “it’s so romantic! The candlelight looks so pretty with the crystal.” He made a sad puppy-dog face and batted his eyelashes. “Didn’t you even notice that I put on all new makeup and got my hair done today?”
    Danielle threw her hands in the air, visibly enjoying herself. “Makeup, schmakeup. You look prettier without it. I’d rather just eat a greasy old pizza in front of the TV.” Danielle, fully committed to her role, choked down some air and managed a tiny, feminine burrrrp . She thumped her fist on her chest. “Where’s the beer?”
    Chloe burst out laughing. “That’s awesome, Danielle!” She high-fived Danielle and elicited a giggling fit from her. Even Gene chuckled to see the two women laughing.
    “You know what, Danielle?” Chloe asked her as she wiped tears of merriment from her eyes. “I hear you. You’re married to a guy who’d rather eat junk food and watch football than eat your fine cuisine by candlelight. And Gene”—she turned to him—“I can see that you really love Danielle, or else you wouldn’t be here, right? But you love her just as much, if not more, in a T-shirt and cut-offs than in a tricked-out get-up like this.”
    Gene nodded in agreement.
    “Danielle, do you want to be married to yourself?” Chloe asked. Danielle wrinkled her nose in confusion. “Well, do you want to be married to a dude who cares about interior decorating, facials and trendy cosmetics, or do you want to be married to the manly guy sitting next to you?”
     “That’s a silly question,” Danielle cooed. She reached over and planted a kiss on Gene’s lips. “I want no one but my old meanie Genie here.”
    Damien’s eyebrows lifted at the term ‘meanie Genie’, but he