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In the aftermath of Katie’s panic attacks, Alexa was always there. Even if she wasn’t there while it happened, she made sure to show up as soon as possible. And that meant the world to Katie, who felt safer with Alexa than anyone else.
After a particularly stressful day at school, they found themselves sitting up in the tree between their houses. They’d been mostly quiet, with Alexa scrolling on her phone and Katie fidgeting with the bracelets Alexa wore— it seemed like an odd habit to Katie, but Alexa didn’t mind… and it helped. So she didn’t worry much about it.
“It’s so frustrating,” Katie said with a huff. “I know all this grounding technique stuff, but then I feel the panic coming on and it leaves my brain all of a sudden, and I start freaking out faster because I don’t know what to do.”
Alexa put her phone down and frowned. “That makes sense,” she said, looking down at Katie’s hands near her wrist. “Maybe… the next time you feel like you’re freaking out, you can hold my hand?”
Katie pondered the suggestion for long after their conversation. Those grounding techniques seemed so easy to remember: take a deep breath, name five things you can see, do some math problems in your head. She even practiced them when she wasn’t anxious. But, well… grabbing her best friend’s hand was a lot easier to remember when Alexa was basically always nearby.
It was a simple thing, and it seemed silly at first. But the first time Katie had to utilize it, the feeling of Alexa’s hand in her own served as a physical reminder to use those grounding techniques. Alexa didn’t even seem to mind that Katie might’ve squeezed her hand a little too hard in the process.