loved Guinness and U2, Zee did not doubt. Zee and her fiancé, Michael, had spent last St. Paddyâs Day at a bar in Southie with Mattei and her partner, Rhonda, and Mattei had held her own, drinking with the best of Bostonâs Irish. And just a month ago, Mattei had come back from one of her therapy walks sporting a pair of pink Armani sunglasses that looked very similar to a pair Zee had once seen Bono wear.
Mattei had done the usual book-tour circuit. But it was when she landed on Oprah that things went wild. There was a growing sense of panic in this country, Mattei explained to Oprah. It was everywhere. Since 9/11, certainly. And the economy? Terrifying. âDo you know the number one fear of women?â she had asked. âBecoming homeless,â she said. She went on to explain that the number one fear of the generalpopulation is public speaking. Many people say theyâd rather die than get up in front of a group to give a presentation. After she reeled off such statistics, Mattei turned and spoke directly to the camera. âWhat are you really afraid of?â she asked America. It became a challenge that echoed through the popular culture. She closed the show with a paraphrased quote from Albert Einstein. The only real question you have to ask yourself is whether or not the universe is a friendly place, she explained, then went on to translate into terms anyone could understand. Once youâve decided that, Mattei said, you can pretty much determine what your future will hold.
Her book hit the top of the New York Times Best Seller list and stayed there for sixty-two weeks. As Matteiâs fame grew, her patient list expanded exponentially, and she brought in interns to mentor, though her real work was still with bipolars.
âDid you know that eighty percent of poets are bipolar?â Mattei asked Zee one morning.
âMy mother wasnât a poet. She wrote childrenâs books,â Zee said.
âNeverthelessâ¦â Mattei replied.
âNeverthelessâ was probably the best thing Zee had ever learned from Mattei. It was a word, certainly, but much more than a word, it was a concept. âNeverthelessâ was what you said when you were not going to budge, whether expressing an opinion or an intention. It was a statement, not a question, and the only word in the English language to which it was pointless to respond. If you wanted to end a conversation or an argument, âneverthelessâ was your word.
Zee often thought that what had happened with her mother was another reason Mattei had hired her. Maureenâs case history might well be considered good material for a new book. But Mattei had never approached her about it. When Zee mentioned her theory one day, Mattei told her that she was mistaken, that she had actually hired Zee because of her red hair.
Theory and research were still Matteiâs passion, and though she had a thriving practice, she also had that elusive second book to write and her new mother-daughter theory to document. So most of Zeeâs patients were Matteiâs overflow. Her âsloppy secondsâ is what Michael called them, though he was clearly unaware of the perverse meaning of his slang. Heâd meant it to be amusing rather than pornographic. The truth was, anything Mattei did was okay with Michael. They had been friends since med school. When Mattei suggested that Michael meet Zee, telling him she thought sheâd found the perfect girl for him, he was only too happy to oblige.
Soon after that, Zee had found herself out on a blind date with Michael.
Upon Matteiâs recommendation, he had taken her to Radius. He had ordered for both of them, some Kurobuta pork and a two-hundred-dollar Barolo. By the time they finished the bottle, Zee found herself saying yes to a weekend with him on the Vineyard. They had moved in together shortly afterward. Not unlike the job Mattei had given her, the relationship just sort of
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