Chap 1:

Rushing footsteps were heard from the hallway, and three furious knocks soon rang out against the door. Amilyn Holdo looked up from the email she was writing on her computer. Without even waiting to hear the word "enter," a little brunette with a chubby face burst into the room and came to stand, fists on her hips, in front of Amilyn's desk.

"I throw in the towel! This is absolutely the last straw, I just can't take it anymore! This guy is so obnoxious. Just because he's famous and plays in blockbusters doesn't mean he's allowed to be a jackass!"

Amilyn used the tip of her index finger to push up the glasses that had slipped down over her nose. It was Monday morning, and she already felt a headache creeping inexorably along her temples to her forehead.

"Rose, come on, I'm sure…"

"When I went back to his room, he threw his laptop on the ground and yelled at me to get out ! And even though he tried to apologize after that, I still think it was totally unacceptable!"

"Rose, please..."

"No, no, no, there is no 'Rose' who will stand for this! Snap lasted three days, Kaydel five, and I've been dealing with this for a week without complaining about Mr. Solo's bad temper! You know me, Amilyn, I'm a patient person, but this is too much. He is as unfriendly as possible, he refuses to do certain exercises, he's always grumpy ... I know that Leia Organa and you are very close, but damn it, her son is a real jerk! Besides, I'm exhausted. It's been a month since Dopheld left and I take care of half of his patients! You said that finding a replacement would be child's play!"

And just like that, the headache that had been threatening all morning was now well-established. The impeccably dressed fifty-year-old with purple hair let out a long sigh, pursing her lips.

"Rose, I know that, and I'm sorry. I was wrong - finding someone really competent and reliable turns out to be more complicated than I expected."

The little brunette rolled her eyes and came to put both hands flat on the desk of her superior. Amilyn loved Rose very much. She was a competent, honest young woman with a heart of gold who was passionate about her job.

"You and I know very well what the solution to our problem is, Dr. Holdo. You must try to convince Rey again."

"It's not that easy, Rose."

"Oh, yes it is. Go see her. Talk to her. You are the shrink, after all."

"And you are her best friend…"

Now it was Rose's turn to sigh.

"But it's you who she feels guilty toward. And despite everything that Poe, Kaydel and I were able to say to her, she's still angry with herself, even if what happened was in no way her fault."

"Of course she had nothing to do with it! I told her that hundreds of times. We have to give her time to…"

"It's been four months, Amilyn! Rey is the best physical therapist I know. She has to come back to work here. For her own good and that of the clinic."

Rose was right. Holdo was fully aware of this.

"OK, I'll go see her."

A big smile finally appeared on the round face of the young Asian girl.

"Perfect! In the meantime, there's no way I'm going to clean up the mess that Kylo Ren made in his room," she announced, stepping out of the director's office.

OooooO

The Whitegrove Private Clinic was one of Connecticut's most prestigious healthcare facilities, with renowned cosmetic surgery and addiction services. The center also included a center for motor rehabilitation and orthopedics. Amilyn Holdo, the founder and a psychologist by training, had used the family fortune to create this place, which was frequented mainly by patients with well-stocked wallets. Movie stars, politicians, top athletes, big bosses, all these pretty people appreciated the discretion and the quality of the care provided in the high-tech and secure premises of the clinic. The ultra-modern buildings stood in the middle of a five-acre wooded park about six miles from Greenwich. And even if facelifts, liposuction and rhinoplasty made up the majority of procedures performed on the wealthy New Yorkers - and therefore the main income stream - many donors and friends of Amilyn had signed on to support her project of offering consultations free to disadvantaged patients. This is why a brand-new clinic had just been created at the Brookdale Hospital Medical Center in the heart of New York City, in which the various practitioners working in the clinic took turns volunteering.

"OK, Charlie, can you keep Kaydel in the hospital tomorrow, are you sure?"

Amilyn was driving slowly down a path strewn with ruts leading to Maz Kanata's property. After two and a half hours of travel, she had passed a red and white sign at the exit of the small town of Delmar indicating that the Kanata stud farm was only about half a mile to the left.

"Thank you very much Charlie, you are a love. Kiss Marjory and the kids for me. See you soon," she concluded before cutting off the communication on the headset of her hands-free kit.

The sky was gray and threatening. It had stopped raining but Amilyn felt that the lull was not going to last. She parked her SUV in front of the house and saw Maz, who was already walking forward to greet her from the porch.

"Oh shit!" she swore as she got out of the car and her heel sank two inches into the muddy ground.

What an idea to leave the clinic and come here without even returning to her apartment to change! Her brand-new pair of Louboutins were ruined. Whatever. Getting Rey was more important than any pair of luxury pumps on Earth.

She progressed painfully to the house, avoiding the puddles and slush as best she could, and managed somehow to join Maz on the veranda.

"Lovely outfit," teased the little woman behind her huge glasses.

"Lovely to see you too, Maz," replied Amilyn, desperately trying to get rid of the mud stuck to her soles. "Sorry about your floor…"

"Oh, hush!" retorted the grandmother, now reaching for the newcomer.

The two friends hugged and Maz offered Amilyn a pair of rubber boots to swap for her heels.

"You're still coming to try to convince Rey, aren't you?" she asked as the psychologist finished putting on the left boot.

"She's here?"

"At the stables. She's examining our new acquisition."

Amilyn looked down, suddenly hesitant, and Maz hastened to add: "I tried to talk to her too, you know. I can clearly see that she misses her work at the clinic. She assures us that she's perfectly happy to stay here at the farm and take care of the horses. But she's not fooling anyone, especially not me."

"Do you think she's ready to listen to me today?"

"When you came three months ago, everything was still too fresh. She's a little better now. It could work."

Amilyn stood up, smoothing her pencil skirt and looking resolute. Maz couldn't help but chuckle at the unlikely image of her friend in a Chanel suit and rain boots. She watched as Amilyn managed by some miracle to descend the staircase of the house without tripping and immediately made her way towards the main barn.

The psychologist greeted one of the workers sweeping the entrance to the building, who told her that Rey was in the last stall on the right. She went to the back of the barn and discovered the young woman crouching in the straw feeling the knee of a splendid chestnut filly. She wore, as usual, her three little buns on the back of her head, and Amilyn leaned against the doorframe, watching her with a fond look.

Rey pressed very gently on the animal's muscles, whispering softly. "It's going to be fine, BB, gently now…" Then the young woman finally noticed that someone was watching her.

"Amilyn?" she exclaimed, turning around in surprise. She then got up, dusted her pants off, and went to join the psychologist at the entrance to the stall.

"Good morning my dear," replied the doctor, wrapping her arms around her in a hug.

"Sorry," Rey said, stepping aside quickly and then pointing to her work clothes. "I'm a bit dirty."

"No worries at this point…"

Rey then looked her over from head to toe, noticing the green rubber boots, and bit her lip so as not to laugh.

"Say, I find this pair of Jimmy Choos very… trendy."

"Alright, alright," said Amilyn, raising her eyes to the sky. "Your grandmother already made fun of me when I arrived."

"Oh, I don't doubt it for a second. So tell me, how are you?"

"I'm doing fine... What about you?

"As you can see, I keep myself busy with the horses," replied Rey, closing the stall door.

She then walked past her friend to go to a small cabinet, open it, and put her gloves in.

Amilyn did not want to allow silence to settle. They had to get to the heart of the matter and quickly, but without putting the young woman on the spot. She was just about to speak when, unexpectedly, Rey added:

"Rose told me that the clinic is doing well at the moment?"

Rey tried for a detached tone, but Maz was right about her granddaughter: she missed the job.

"In fact we are completely overwhelmed," retorted Amilyn. "Kaydel started maternity leave last week, Dopheld moved back to Canada, and suddenly, with two fewer therapists, Rose and Snap are left with double the work to do."

Rey just nodded without saying a word. She avoided meeting Amilyn's eyes, instead busying herself with folding and unfolding some blankets that had already been perfectly arranged on one of the shelves of the cabinet.

"And I've a lot of trouble finding replacements," Amilyn hastened to add.

"I see."

"The clinic is also going well. We have a huge number of patients, and the hospital may allow us to expand. There too we'll have to find people to cover all the shifts."

Rey's fingers suddenly tightened on a blue and green tartan.

"Amilyn…"

"Oh, and Ethan tried his new prosthesis yesterday. That kid is amazing. He's made remarkable progress, but he still asks for you every day."

"Amilyn…" sighed the young woman again.

"Rey, I need you," the older woman finally blurted out. "Please. You have to come back. We ALL need you. You are a wonderful physical therapist. You work miracles. I don't doubt for a second that your grandmother's horses are extremely lucky to have you, but you know very well that your place is not here."

Rey finally deigned to look up at her. Her eyes were wet and her lips were trembling imperceptibly.

"I'm just about to get my certification in equine physiotherapy. I'm preparing to take the exam right now."

No matter how hard she tried to seem convincing, her words sounded hollow. There was no enthusiasm in her voice and Amilyn couldn't help but smile sadly.

"Rey… you always wanted to work with people, not horses."

The young woman wiped the track of a tear that had just run down her cheek with the back of her hand.

"We are going to talk a little bit, okay?" murmured Amilyn, who had advanced towards her and was now stroking her arm to comfort her. "I have the whole evening ahead of me, I'm starting to find these boots very comfortable, and I'm dying to have your grandmother prepare her famous chili for me. Do you think I can stay for dinner?"

Rey let out an amused hiccup and nodded, sniffing. Amilyn wrapped an arm around her shoulders and the two women headed for the house together.