Chapter Text
Eric goes down the stairs in a hurry. On his right shoulder, he carries a huge red coat, and in his hands, he balances his car keys, his wallet, and his cell phone. In the foyer, Kyle adjusts a dark green scarf around his neck with one hand while pulling on his shoes with the other. Eric offers to help with the task and Kyle accepts with a subtle, almost imperceptible nod. The other then kneels in front of her husband and helps him put on his shoes, now without so much effort. The laces are more difficult as while Eric is tying them, Kyle shuffles his feet and insists he can do that part himself. Eric can only smile at the situation.
After Eric made sure the security system was working and the oven was turned off, and Kyle made sure all the windows were closed, lights off, and electronics unplugged, they left. Eric had to go back for the car keys he'd forgotten on the counter in the kitchen, but as soon as he retrieved them, they left.
First Session - Eric Theodore Cartman-Broflovski and Kyle Broflovski
- Hello. Eric and Kyle. Kyle and Eric. - Mrs. Bennett, the psychologist, smiles. - Nice to meet you. Please, sit down. - She points to the lead-gray sofa that faces an armchair of the same color.
- Excuse us. - Kyle says sitting at one end of the sofa, while Eric sits more towards the middle.
- It's okay. Make yourselves comfortable.
Mrs. Bennett settles back in her chair, she takes a deep breath, looking at the couple across her through her glasses. Cora Bennett is a middle-aged woman, her hair is brown, but it is possible to see some gray hairs in certain parts. Her look consists of a navy blue T-shirt with no pattern and a black blazer on top, while the bottom consists of dress pants in the same color as the blazer and sporty white sneakers - which don't match the rest of her look at all.
- So, how are you?
- [Kyle] We're fine. [Eric] We're okay. - both answer at the same time. Kyle and Eric look at each other for a brief moment before the redhead responds again. - Yeah, I'd say we're okay. - Kyle smiles and Eric agrees.
- How was the way here? I hope you didn't get caught in this rain.
- No no. - Eric says. - We took the shortest way here so we ended up avoiding the rain completely.
- Yeah. - Kyle says in a whisper.
- I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. What did you say, Kyle? - Mrs. Barnett asks.
-No, nothing. I was just agreeing with what Eric said about avoiding the rain.
- Oh okay. - she smiles. - So... I'd like to start by asking: What brought both of you here?
The men look at each other silently deciding who will be the first to speak.
- You can go first. - Eric offers.
- Are you sure? - Kyles asks. Eric nods affirmatively. - Okay. Well, I think we're here for many reasons, but mainly for something that's been going on for a while that involves my parents kind of indirectly.
- I don't know if indirectly is the right word. - Eric chimes in.
- I mean, maybe indirectly isn't the right word, but to say they're directly involved seems kind of accusatory, you know? - Kyle waits for Eric's answer, but the other doesn't seem as lost as Kyle. - I don't know. That doesn't make a lot of sense.
The therapist carefully observes the couple's interaction.
- I would like to know what is this situation involving your parents. Can you talk more about that?
- Sure. - the redhead settles down on the couch. - Hmm, well... Last week my parents came to have dinner with us and the kids and... I guess... They did what they do best and made some comments about the way the kids were dressed, how the food Eric and I made didn't look like the food my mom makes and something else about the pictures we have in our living room. They talked a lot that day.
- And what exactly did that do to you? Were you upset by these comments? Angry? Frustrated?
- I've kind of gotten used to this kind of behavior coming from Kyle's parents, so I feel like I don't care as much as I did a few years ago, but I see the way these comments have affected him. - Cartman points to Kyle.
- And how does this affect him? How does this affect you, Kyle? - Cora asks.
- I don't see how it affects me personally. I mean, it used to affect me when I was younger and my parents had more authority over me, but nowadays I wouldn't say I react to what they say in any way.
- I wish that were true, but it's not. I'm sorry. - Eric adjusts his posture so that his back is straight against the back of the sofa. - But every time Kyle's parents visit, they make some observations, about our house, our children, the way we raise them, the way we practice our faith, and sometimes about the paths Kyle took in life. It's ridiculous if I'm being honest.
- And what effect does that have on Kyle? - Mrs. Bernnett reinforces her question.
Eric takes a deep breath. - Well, at first, it doesn't seem to affect him.
- See? - Kyle interrupts the other. The woman on the other side motions for Kyle to wait and for Eric to continue. The redhead takes a deep breath turning to his partner. - You were saying?
- Well, as I was saying... At first, these things don't seem to affect him, but give it a day or two and he'll be walking around the house trying to "fix" the same things his parents criticized days before... Our house, how we raise our children, how we practice our faith, and certain aspects of his personal life.
- Okay, that's not true! - Kyle interrupts. He looks at Mrs. Bernnett as if she were the referee in a basketball game and Eric had just done something worthy of a penalty.
- You literally started reading a book called The Great Book of Ice Hockey after your dad mentioned that he and Ike have been getting together to watch hockey games every few weeks. You even set up your google news to send you alerts about anything involving Hockey.
- This is interesting. - Cora comments. - Who is Ike?
- Kyle's younger brother.
- Yeah. He is great.
- An amazing guy.
- Very intelligent. He works for a big law firm in Canada. - Kyle points out.
- He's Canadian. - Eric reinforces.
- Yeah. - Kyle agrees. - But anyway, I don't think this is an indicator of anything other than that I'm trying to expand my horizons beyond the things I already like. It turns out that in this case, it is a subject that coincidentally interests my father and my brother and that perhaps could bring us closer together. I don't see the problem with that.
- And you're right, there's no problem with that. Your interests are yours, and I believe we all develop interests for reasons that at the end of the day, only we will be able to understand. People can take an interest in different subjects for the pleasure of learning, for the joy that it gives them, in the search for self-knowledge, or even for the desire to belong, for the sense of community that these interests, when shared, can offer.
Kyle looks at Eric like he's won the argument of the century. The other huffs and crosses his arms. Mrs. Bernnett watches the couple in silence for a moment before settling back in her chair, crossing her legs, and adjusting the glasses on her nose. Although it rains outside, the inside of the office is warm and comfortable, the paintings on the walls, plants in the corners of the room, and the shelves with books and small sculptures create a pleasant and professional atmosphere. As he looks around Kyle thinks about how he wishes his office had that same kind of inviting energy, although inviting isn't a word he thought went well with law firms or lawyers.
- But I think it would be interesting to go back to the part where you try to level the other areas of your life with the expectations presented by your parents.
- I don't-- Kyle stops before he can respond on automatic. - Again, I don't feel like I'm doing this. Maybe my parents are noticing things that end up going unnoticed by me because of our somewhat chaotic routine. I mean, we have two energetic children, an equally energetic adult Leonberger, and an elderly cat that requires care.
- Well, even if that's the case, you already seem to have a lot of things to manage, it doesn't seem fair to me that you have to deal with this criticism on top of that. These expectations. I mean, that sounds stressful.
- And it is, but I don't believe that my parents are doing this to hurt me.
- No of course not. But I think it's worth cogitating that maybe they could consider all the responsibilities that you're dealing with right now.
- Exactly! - Eric interjects. - I don't have a problem with them or the fact that sometimes they will have a lot of opinions about how we live our life or raise our children. For God's sake, my mom is someone who loves to talk about how the kids don't seem to be eating enough every time she visits!
- Yeah, she always does that. - Kyle laughs.
- And I can see that you don't seem as bothered by it as you do when your parents' comments are the focal point of the discussion. - Mrs. Bernnett points. - Why's that? - there's a moment of silence. Kyle's laugh quiets down. He fidgets with his hands while biting the insides of his cheeks. Eric puts one of his hands on Kyle's left knee for reassurance. He knows all too well when his husband is inside his head. Overthinking.
- I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that Eric's mother was always a very caring person, not that my parents aren't, but they always had this long list of expectations for me and I feel like Liane, Eric's mother, just hoped that he would be happy with whatever he decided to do with his life. - Cora nods. - My parents, on the other hand, always had a very detailed plan for my future and any choice I made that deviated from that plan would cause a catastrophic event.
- Can you give me examples of choices you made that ended up causing these catastrophic events? These breaches of expectation.
- Well, the first thing I can think of was when Eric and I started dating in our last year of high school. We had decided to keep it a secret because of my parents, but they found out eventually and we had a huge fight about it.
- But why did you fight? They didn't accept you being in a same-sex relationship or...
- No no. They were more concerned about me being in a relationship with Eric Cartman. - He smiles at the man beside him. - And I can understand them in a way, I mean, Eric was a troubled child and teenager until he started therapy in his freshman year of high school and things changed. - Kyle takes a deep breath. - I understand why they would be afraid, I would be too if I found out through rumors that one of my children is dating someone I consider a bad person. But I also want to believe that I would listen to what they have to say about the situation and try to handle it wisely and kindly.
- And you didn't get any of those things when you tried to talk to your parents?
- No. - Kyle clears his throat.
Eric reaches for the glass water jug on the table in the center of the room. He fills one of the tall glasses and offers it to Kyle who takes it. The redhead drinks in large gulps and returns the glass to the table afterward.
He then continues. - I then went to law school, which improved the situation and made them kind of accept my relationship with Eric. My father is a lawyer, and for as long as I can remember my parents wanted me to follow the same path. In my sophomore year of college, things got more difficult, I spent most of my time studying alone in my apartment and my meals consisted of instant noodles and granola bars. My mental health wasn't the greatest. - The redhead adjusts the scarf around his neck. - Eric moved in with me a few months later. I tried to tell him it wasn't a good idea and that my parents would freak out when they found out he and I were living together. - The couple laughs. - But he was always very stubborn and even after all my warnings, he moved in. To this day I'm grateful he didn't listen to me.
- And your parents? - Cora asks.
- Oh, they were furious when they found out. My mother said that Cartman would be a distraction and that my grades would suffer because of it. - He goes back to fidgeting with his hands. - When I graduated I left Eric in Denver and went back to South Park to work at the same firm where my father worked. This was one of the most complicated phases of our relationship, but my parents were happy so I thought it was the right thing to do. A year and a half later I decided to leave and move back to Denver. Eric was living in a kitnet in the farthest part of town. It was all he could afford.
- At that time I was studying business at the community college during the day and working at KFC at night. - Eric adds.
- And you were still together?
- Yes, as I said it was difficult, but we made it work. - the men look at each other and something was said through that look. - A year later Eric asked me to marry him. - Kyle plays with the ring on his finger. Proud. - And then again, my mother had her reservations. She said that Eric didn't have solid plans for the future, that he hadn't finished college yet, that he took medication to regulate his mood, that he was a ticking time bomb ready to explode when I least expected it, and above all that he wasn't Jewish. And again, I told him he didn't have to do this, but... - Eric leans forward a little to show the yamulke on top of his head.
- Weirdly enough, they looked super happy at our wedding ceremony. - Eric points out. Kyle nods, looking at his husband and then at the therapist. - Sheila complained about some things, but they had more to do with certain guest friends of ours than with us. Gerald was just happy to be there.
- That is great. - Mrs. Bernnett says leaning back in her chair.
- It is. - Kyle chimes in a little more high energy. - See, hum, they can be nice and supportive. It's not like they were always so strict. I mean, that's how they show love, you know?
- I understand, but...
- And I don't know why we're stuck with my issues with my parents, it's not like they're the only thing affecting the functioning of our relationship. For example, there's the way Eric refuses to acknowledge and deal with his grief over the last few months. - Kyle sees his partner look away and take a deep breath. He's mad. Maybe Kyle said something he shouldn't have. Not now.
- No, this is also an interesting topic and perhaps we should address it in our next session.
- Yeah. - Kyle agrees with his eyes still on Eric. - Next week, right?
- That's right. - Cora gets up from her armchair and is soon followed by the couple. They walk to the door. - Take care of each other, and your family and I hope to see you here next week. - She smiles.
- We will and thanks. See you next week. - Kyle thanks you, fixing his coat and scarf.
- See you next week. - Eric collects the car keys from his pockets. - Baruch tiheyeh.
They both leave the office closing the door behind them.