Emotional surrogacy

"The thing is simple John, first of all, you'll have to think of me as Miranda from now on, i know it could be akward at first, but trust me, i know what i'm saying."

"I-I'm not sure to understand ..."

"You see John, the probem here is that you are holding a grudge towards Miranda for things you can't actually blame her for. That doesn't makes your feeligs less real, but at the same time, if you want to a chance with her, you can't just spew all your rage on her for something she could not, and should not, ever feel guilty for. You would get nothing good out of it."

"So ... you 're telling me i have to picture you as Miranda and ... what, exactly?" You ask dubious.

"I don't know. You have to search deep down in yourself. Express your feelings, your fears."

"And you will just stand there?"

"Ahm ... yeah, i mean ... i will play my daughter's role. I can sit or stand ... you tell me. Just give me some rough directions of what you want me to do, i'll do my best to not break the character. You know i was the first of my acting class in college." She chirps clearly excited of finally being able to do her part.

You size her up frowining.
Well, you can't immagine anyone that could make for a better surrogate of Miranda, that's for sure.

"I don't know Cat ... I mean, it would be akward, you're her mom ... Besides i doubt i could let myself go like that."

"It's really important John, i don't usually talk about it, but i did 8 years of therapy, i know how this things ... resentment, grudge ... can nest inside our soul. Till one day, you wake up and discover they have hatched and devoured yourself from the inside. Bam, just like that." She underlines her last sentence gesturing with her hands.

"I suppose we can give it a try."

"No John, there's no try. Do, or do not. Are we gonna do it or not?"

After a brief hesitation you nod with more convinction.

"But you have to promise me that you won't laugh at me and that whatever happens from now you won't tell anything to Miranda, for any reason."

"Agreed. Now, what you want me to do?"