Martha's day had gone quietly after Henry Jenkins left the Twist home with John Harper. She did return home, as Samantha had her work to do and Martha had her own studying to do, not to mention to check for any messages on the answering machine. There had been nothing of that nature and Martha set about her studies and keeping up to date on busy work around the house. It wasn't too much, though as the day went on, she found her thoughts often drifting to Henry Jenkins' young helper.
It had been the first time she'd ever met John Harper, and while he'd seemed friendly enough, Martha also had the sense that he was "lost" somehow. It wasn't in the sense that he didn't know where he was, but perhaps more that he didn't know who he was. She'd never figured that anyone would have had interest in her backstory, beyond maybe wondering how or why she could still love William after he'd cheated on her in Minnesota. But she didn't know the Jenkins or Jenny well enough that anyone in the Harper family would have really known about that. Harry and Jenny might recognize her from the Skulk's welcome meeting, as Henry did, but that would be about it. Yet, John Harper seemed curious about her and her past, particularly after learning that the Twists had turned her, yet she remained married to a male werefox.
"Life with his father must have been harsh," Martha thought to herself as she looked over her study guide and thinking over James Harper Senior's attempt to bully his eldest daughter into returning to Alabama with him, "made him feel unloved or at least vulnerable... especially if he's bi... The types..."
Martha felt herself shudder at that. She hadn't trained as a therapist, but as a teacher there was some element of empathy and understanding that always had to be there when something was wrong. And even kids in Elementary schools if they came from broken homes or abusive parents would have telling signs of that sort of abuse. And while her certification had expired after Nate and Eric were born, that didn't mean those skills had just disappeared. In this, Martha had some sense that there was something wrong with John Harper, and that made the mother in her worry over his future and what James Harper Senior had put pressure on him over the years... especially if he was bisexual, like she was.
And that could be rough for him, even moving for. It was rough for her as it was. Her parents and her older sister weren't outright anti-gay or anything like that, but they weren't the sort that wanted to see those that were involved in that sort of thing, and that had probably been a part of why she repressed being bi... until Samantha and Frances inspired her to accept that part of her. But her parents and older sister were rather tame when compared to the Harper patriarch, which if John was bi or homosexual, would have meant that he would have to have a whole host of other problems based around that. Though, based on John's questions, Martha figured that he was more confused on who he was.
A lot of that would mean that he'd have plenty things to figure out and only John could figure those things out. In that, Martha did feel she was right to tell John that only he could truly figure out the real answers to the questions he had. However, the fact that he had been so interested in her past and seemed so confused told the teacher and mother in her that John might need more help in figuring that out than what friends or even the Jenkins could provide. In that sense, John might well need professional help... someone like Francis who knew a bit more on how the mind worked to help him not only figure it out but feel confident about it.
And as such, as Martha went about her day would periodically go through the dining room if only lift the curtains on its front windows to see if Frances had come home. By a bit after three thirty, as Martha made another pass through she noticed a car pulling up in front of the Twists and that Frances was behind the wheel at the moment. With that, Martha was quick to move around to the front door and then jogged across the grass toward Frances's car, and her pride mate noticed her almost immediately.
"Hello, Martha... I trust you had a good day," Frances said slowly as she stopped to get her purse out of her car.
"My day went reasonably well... everyone made it to school on time and there were no messages," Martha gave a small smile, "though there was something that went on this morning that you might need to be aware of..."
"This isn't something with Eric, is it?" Frances wondered, remembering how worried Martha had been over some things with her younger son and the likelihood that what she'd noticed was the result of some mental trauma brought on by stress on Eric. Given what she knew on the Anderson's lives before the moved to Moon Lake, she couldn't put that beyond possible, though on the plus side, whatever issues that Eric had, they were more circumstantial than anything else and that therapy would be the best cure and he wouldn't need expensive medicines. And Martha had seemed better on that issue in the morning, but that also didn't remove the possibility that something else had happened.
"No... this is more with who came to help replace your bedroom window," Martha answered.
"Jenkins Construction was supposed to handle that," Frances commented, "Samantha even said that Huck had come by to appraise the cost of replacing the window and repairing the wall."
"And they did... but the team was Henry Jenkins Senior and John Harper," Martha answered, "And I think they did a good repair job..."
"But...?" Frances wondered, puzzled that Henry Jenkins Senior would have been there. In theory he wasn't so old that he couldn't do a lot of the work, but he'd also reached the point where his savings and so on could cover his retirement and did so. There was also some puzzlement at John Harper being part of the repair team.
"Well... it seemed like the boy is a bit lost in that he doesn't know WHO he is," Martha explained, "Probably what his father did to him and his siblings in Alabama... He asked about how I became a werecat... why I choose to be a werecat... why I didn't become a werefox, like William. He wanted to know a lot about my past, not something one would expect from someone I'd never met before."
Frances slowly nodded. She expected that John Harper might have some issues, as Jenny had reported to her that he might be gay in one of her last sessions, but she couldn't say that out loud as that would betray the trust that Jenny had put in her as a therapist. However, what Martha had told her did seem to reinforce those thoughts. Though Martha continued with her answer.
"He said he had met a girl that he likes," Martha said slowly, "but with the way some of his questions on me... it makes me wonder as to whether or not he even knows his sexuality and so on. Samantha and I tried to tell him that a lot of what he's facing is really up to him... that we can't tell him he's one way or the other, but accept what he chooses or realizes that he is."
"True..." Frances nodded.
"But I also couldn't help but wonder... as to whether or not he might still need some other help," Martha said slowly, "something or someone that could help him come to that realization and help him make that decision without directing him into anything."
"And so you thought of me?" Frances asked.
Martha gave a weak smile, "Sorry... it's the mother and teacher in me. I know there are limits to what can be done to help... but at the same time... I can't help but feel that someone could help him."
"I'm sure," Frances nodded, "and to some extent... I'd even agree that young John Harper could probably stand to have help... but in the end, much of his fate is really up to him. And I can only do so much... and much of what I can do is up to either Jenny and John themselves. I can't just barge in on the Jenkins family if they don't want my help and there is no court order that says that John needs it."
Martha only looked down. Frances slowly reached out and patted her shoulder.
"It's great that you care," Frances said slowly, "but you were right to tell him that figuring out who he is will be up to him. And if Jenny has the same worries you do.... I'm sure she'll urge that John have some sessions to help him with that decision. And in time... he'll likely make that decision and accept that decision made..."
Martha nodded.
"In the meantime... stay positive and hope that things will get better for all of the Harpers," Frances informed her, "as you and Eric will have your first session tomorrow."
"William might be there too," Martha informed her.
To that Frances nodded and patted Martha's shoulder.