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Rowan was nervous sitting the back of the car that was taking her to the retreat. She knew this place had a good reputation, but she’d never needed any therapy like this.

“We’re here,” the driver said as she pulled through a gate that had opened as the car approached.

The security on site was excellent. All the therapists, drivers, people in the kitchen, and anyone customer-facing were women. Since this was a retreat for women needing intense therapy, that made sense. The security on the perimeter of the property was mostly men, with a few women in the mix. She'd been told that the men never came to the building where the guests stayed. It really was a place to relax and learn how to recover from the pressures she faced.

The main facility was the old family house situated at the top of a hill overlooking the vineyards. The winery was still operational, but the building where they made wine was at the other end of the fields, and a fence separated the buildings .

It amazed her that the family had set up this facility. They'd moved from the big house to a small place a few miles away after their daughter had been the victim of a man who had tried to destroy her. They'd been amazed that there hadn't been a place like this. Their daughter's experience had shown them how difficult it was to get good, affordable therapy.

The car stopped, and she got out, turning around as the driver retrieved her bags. The front door of the house opened, and she turned to face the woman walking out to greet her.

“Hello, Rowan. I’m Cassandra. I’m the main therapist on site. I know you have experience with psychology, but I want to make sure you feel comfortable with my credentials.”

“Thank you. I do feel comfortable.”

"Thank you. When you're in the business, I know it's hard to trust. We have eight other women here this week. Two of them are leaving this week, so next week, we'll only have six. You can walk the grounds, but we don't suggest going through the gate until you're prepared to be in mixed company. The men working the farm know to always be respectful, but we need to make sure you have tools to deal with anything that causes you to feel uncomfortable."

She nodded. “Thank you.”

"I've read the notes you sent. It sounds like you went through something very scary. We'll be doing intense therapy a few times a day on the first three days, then we'll slow down, and you'll have time to relax and journal. Tonight, you can settle in and eat dinner. We try to keep a schedule just to make sure you're getting plenty of sleep, so we try for lights out around ten thirty. Not that you have to go to sleep then, but we try to keep the noise down and not have people bumping around. "

She liked Cassandra and was glad they had a schedule. She knew she was welcome to nap at any time, but getting enough sleep was crucial to her healing.

"I don't think I've been sleeping well. I’m sure this will help."

“The country air does make a difference.”

She drew in a deep breath and let it go. “It is nice.”

"Hopefully, the atmosphere will help you relax."

Rowan nodded, feeling good about herself for the first time in a while. She wished Shine was here with her, but part of learning to deal with her demons was to take on her issues on her own. She could breathe easier here. Maybe it was because she was far from where everything had gone bad, or maybe it was because she knew she would finally be working on herself.

Whatever it was making her feeling better, she was here for it. She wanted to heal. That was good. She had been lost in the memories of what happened, but that wasn’t her truth. Something bad had happened, but she could recover and rise above the fear of it all.