This sounds hugely positive to me! You've been hiding behind the tote bag (holding back from being open) and now you're not (you feel more confident being more open with T). This is wonderful! I would say that therapy is just really *beginning* rather than ending!

I've experienced something similar. For a couple of months I held one of T's couch pillows in front of me during sessions, and I kind of wrapped my arms around it. At the time I was feeling pretty resistant to therapy and I guess this was how I expressed it. Then I finally stopped fighting, and consciously refused to hold the pillow in front of me. And I haven't since. And I am much more open and not holding back from him and now we're really making progress - painful as it is.

I hope you can feel good about what you've achieved. Good work!!