IN BETWEEN MEMORIES AND DREAMS

Sighs.

She slowly sips the coffee from the cup, her left hand gently caressing her hair as the wind from the window messes it.

Her thoughts slow, drifting away as she savors the warmth of the coffee.

“Qrr… Qrrr.” A soft chirp from the other side of the table catches her attention. She slowly turns toward the sound.

“Someone needs head scratches now, I think,” she chuckles, stretching out her hand.

He understands her signal and flies from his little treehouse straight to her finger.

“Aww, my Pico baby. Missed mommy?” she whispers, giving him gentle head scratches.

Pico leans into her touch, enjoying every moment. “Qrr… Qrrr… Qrrr,” he seems to whisper in relief.

“You know, right? Mommy loves you and will do anything to keep you safe.” For some reason, her heart melts when this tiny little creature wraps his tiny feet around her finger.

A knock on the door breaks their warm moment.

“Miss Reyes?” a voice calls from the other side of the closed door.

“Yes, come in,” she says in a cold, bold tone.

“Miss Reyes, you have an appointment from Starlight Sports Management,” the assistant says, handing her the profile.

“Again! I already told them I’m not giving them therapy. Didn’t you make them understand?” she snaps.

“I… I told them, Miss Reyes. Still, the manager insists on meeting you,” the assistant stutters back.

“Whatever, I’m not…” Before she could finish her sentence, her assistant cuts her off.

“But Miss Reyes, this time the manager has been referred by your professor.”

“What? My professor?” she asks, confused.

“Yes, Miss Reyes,” the assistant replies.

“When is their appointment?” she asks in a cold tone.

“In five minutes, Miss Reyes,” the assistant replies.

“Fine. Make them wait in our meeting hall. I’ll be back after making a phone call,” she says coldly.

The assistant nods in agreement and leaves the room.

She slowly leads Pico to his treehouse, lifts her phone, and dials her professor’s number. Less than a few rings, the call is answered.

“**SIANA REYES!!!**” her professor screams from the other side of the line.

“Ohh shit!” she curses beneath her breath.

“What did I teach you? Is this how I taught you to practice? Since when do psychologists hold judgments toward their clients? Answer me!” her professor yells.

“Umm, Professor Camila! It’s not like that. I’m not being judgmental here, just picky in choosing my clients,” she replies.

“Woah. Since you’ve been shining in your career, now you’re picky about providing help to people?” her professor says in disbelief.

“No… no,” she stutters. “I’m just avoiding clients from the sports field. You know what I mean?” she says, concerned.

“Oh dear. You can’t keep doing this forever. I get that you have your reasons for not handling them, but you are a psychologist and a well-known therapist,” her professor says softly.

“I know! I know! Still…” she hesitates.

“No buts or stills,” her professor cuts her off firmly.

“Why don’t you let this case be the icebreaker to your own fear? Go on. Meet him, learn about the client, and understand his condition,” her professor says, closing the conversation.

“Fine. But don’t expect me to keep taking clients from the sports field. Since you’re insisting, I’ll meet them,” she replies.

“Not bad for a start,” her professor chuckles.

“Whatever,” she sighs. “I’m running late for the meeting. I’ll catch you later.” She ends the call.

At twenty-seven, Siana Reyes had everything people admired — success as a respected psychologist, a reputation as one of the most sought-after therapists in the city, and the calm, composed aura of a woman who had it all figured out. But behind the strength and elegance she carried, there lingered a silent fear, a shadow she avoided facing, especially when it came to clients from the sports world.

She picked up her diary and walked toward the meeting hall. As she passed through the hallway, she whispered under her breath, “I thought I’d moved on… but it still haunts me.”

Stopping at the door, she took a deep breath and pushed it open.

Inside, her assistant stood beside a middle-aged man who was scrolling through his phone. The sound of her footsteps made him glance up, his gaze shifting from the screen to her.

She walked past him and settled into her chair, placing her diary neatly on the table.

“Ms. Siana Reyes, thank you for accepting my appointment,” the man began. “I’m Michael Lock, Director at Starlight Sports Management.” He extended his hand politely.

“It’s a pleasure meeting you,” she said, extending her hand for a firm shake.

“So, how can I help you? Despite rejecting your appointments several times, you still insisted on meeting me.”

Michael offered a small smile. “Yes, Miss Reyes. The reason I pushed so hard is because we need your expertise for one of our most important athletes — a star whose career is on the line.”

Siana’s brows furrowed. “And why exactly do you think I’m the right person for this?”

“Because he requested you by name,” Michael said firmly, sliding a profile across the table.Her gaze dropped to the folder. The name printed at the top was Ethan Cruz.

Siana frowned. “Ethan Cruz? Doesn’t ring a bell.”

“Yes,” Michael explained. “Ethan Cruz, our star athlete. He’s well known for his world records in swimming competitions. But lately, he’s completely off track — struggling to cover distances in time, and reacting aggressively whenever he fails to reach his goals. I’m really worried about him. His next competition is in six months, and we can’t afford him to collapse like this.

We’ve tried bringing in help from others, but for some reason… he insisted on you.”

As she listened to him, her mind drifted into a train of memories.

“Yayyy, Ash! I knew you would win this round!” Siana had been cheerful, jumping in excitement in that memory.

Michael’s hand waving in front of her face pulled her back to the present.

“Miss Reyes, can we take your response as a yes?” he asked.

“Umm… yes,” Siana replied, her voice carrying half hesitation and half coldness.

Well… it feels like I’m going to revisit my past again, she thought silently.

Michael smiled in relief. “Great. I’ll be sharing the details of your next meeting with Ethan Cruz. My assistant will reach out to you for the other particulars—timings, payment, and so on.”

Siana nodded in agreement.

“Thanks for today, Miss Reyes.” With that, he stepped out of the room.

Once he left, she picked up the profile and stared at Ethan’s picture. His face carried an odd mix of coldness and playfulness. Sharp, focused eyes. A defined jawline. Ruffled hair.

She whispered under her breath, “How do you know me?”