Power of Love

Debby Maxim was just one of those people who had been born scared. Right from when she was little, she had been pretty scared of everything, and her fear seemed to get worse as she got older. For example, she couldn't go anywhere in an airplane because what if it crashed, she wouldn't wear heels because they looked wobbly to her, and she didn't fancy breaking her legs. Debby wouldn't eat any food because she feared choking, and she was also scared of slippery floors because what if she fell and hit her head and then died.

Mr. and Mrs. Maxim had sent their only child to different therapists starting from when she was about 6. One of them had diagnosed Debby with something they couldn't pronounce, which simply meant fear of dying in layman's terms at the age of 15. The diagnosis had shocked her mother into silence, while her father had simply asked jokingly,

“Hey, Doc, are you sure she's not just crazy? There's a history of madness in her mother's family”.

This statement had brought her mother out of shock, and she had replied angrily
“My grandfather and great-grandfather were not mad, they were just eccentric people!”

“Sounds the same to me” her father replied, shrugging

Mrs. Maxim ignored the comment and turned to the doctor

“How is it possible that a child this young is suffering from…?”

“Thanatophobia…it’s an anxiety disorder” The doctor replied

“Yes, what can we do to help her?” Mrs. Maxim had asked, looking at her daughter worriedly.

Debby just sat there looking back and forth between her parents and the doctor, thinking of all the things that could possibly lead to disaster on their way home.

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Several visits to a highly recommended psychotherapist, Dr. Simpson, helped Debby improve a little over the years, but her permanent cure had been Ian McAllister. Ian was a handsome, risk taking, daredevil who was only delighted when he was doing something that could potentially lead to his death. At least that was how Debby saw him. She first laid eyes on him on the school bus, then later learned that he had moved to their city when his father had been transferred to a bank there.

In school, Debby tried to act cool and fearless, no one knew all the thoughts going on in her head except her two best friends Joan and Ellen. They had known each other from childhood and had grown to love and understand each other. Two months into his resumption at school, Ian and Debby had become close, and eventually, he'd asked her to be his girlfriend. She had told her friends about it, confessing that she'd loved him from the day they had met on the bus.

“Which Ian, the new guy?” Ellen asked her in disbelief.

“I think she fell and hit her head somewhere, how many fingers am I holding up?” Joan asked, waving her fingers in Debby’s face.

“I am serious girls, this isn't a crush. I love Ian McAlister, and I'm going to date him!” she declared to them, smiling.

“Ellen she's serious, of all the people to love she chose the person that might just lead to her untimely death!” Joan wailed.

“Just imagine losing such a beauty so soon, what a waste, and it will be all because of a boy!” Ellen replied in shock.

“I can picture her obituary. Debby Maxim, pretty and sweet who died because of love. Her mother would be so distraught” Joan replied theatrically.

“What about us, her dearest friends? I reckon I'll spend several months in therapy because I'll be so heartbroken that I wouldn't be able to speak” Ellen said, collapsing on Debby.

“Okay… Are you guys done?” Debby asked, “because nobody is dying”.

Joan and Ellen exchanged a look and burst out laughing

“I mean, you've got just one life to live and dying because of love isn't that bad. But if Ian distracts you from listing out all the ways we could die whenever we go out, then you have my blessing” Ellen said excitedly.

“Me too Debby, just promise not to freak him out or say anything weird around him” Joan begged, dancing around them.

Debby was overjoyed, her friends were ecstatic and Mr. and Mrs. Maxim had been dumbfounded when they eventually found out, but they were also happy for their daughter.

Ian loved hiking and skiing and mountain climbing. He also liked jumping into the sea from a cliff whenever they went to the seaside, which terrified Debby, but she always pretended not to care. Ian had eventually found out about her anxiety issues when he had asked her to prom. Debby had prepared for it excitedly, only for her to faint at the sight of the helicopter he had hired to take them to the venue as a surprise. She'd woken up crying and upset.

“It's okay Debby, why didn't you tell me about this sooner? Your parents told me everything after you fainted” he said, hugging her.

“I didn't want to lose you Ian,” she'd replied, trying not to stain his suit with her makeup

“Imagine how traumatic my hobbies must have been for you” Ian said, stifling a laugh

She hit him playfully on his chest and told him he had scarred her for life.

“Seriously Debby, we're going to work on your issues, I mean you only live once right? I want you to enjoy a life free of worries,” he said, staring deeply into her eyes.

“You live every damn day, Ian, but you only die once,” Debby replied, rolling her eyes.

“Whatever you say, babe, all I know is I'm here for you. We'll conquer this fear of yours together. Do you trust me?” he asked her, smiling.

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“Yes I do, but I'm not getting into that thing with you” she replied, clutching his hands. They ended up taking her father's car and their prom had been wonderful.

Ian also kept to his promise. He was there through college and after college helping her,and as long as Debby forgot all her fears and focused on him it worked. Slowly, she began to conquer most of her fears.

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“Debby, you should be getting dressed, why are you staring out the window smiling?” Joan screamed as she and Ellen came into Debby's room fully dressed in their bridesmaid attire.

“Mrs. Maxim, please come up here, I think your daughter has developed cold feet” Ellen shouted in the direction of the kitchen

“Shh Ellen, don't call my mother” Debby replied, picking up her wedding gown delicately and putting it on.

“So what were you thinking about? You were lost in thought and you had this happy smile on your face” Ellen asked

“The good old days, High School, Ian, prom…” Debby replied.

“He turned out to be your cure and knight in shining armor” Joan said, laughing.

“Yes he did, I still have a long way to go, but I'm better now, right?” Debby said.

“Of course, by now the old Debby would have told us about 50 ways something bad could happen before we got to church” Joan replied, and they all burst out laughing.

“You look so gorgeous Mrs. McAllister!” Ellen said, helping her with her veil and shoes.

When they were done, Debby walked down the stairs to find her dad waiting for her with tears in his eye.

“Aww my baby looks so beautiful” he cried out.

“Dad, please don't cry because I will also cry, and my makeup will be ruined and mum will be angry at both of us” Debby said laughing

“Okay sweetie, come on, let's get you married to the boy who saved you from ending up like your mother's relatives” her dad replied, winking at her

“I heard that!” her mother screamed, “I don't know how we ended up married…”

Debby got into the waiting limousine with her friends and parents, who kept on arguing. But as she looked back and forth at them with a smile on her face, the only thought in her mind was that she couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life arguing over silly things with Ian McAllister.