Page 51 of Mia

“Nice to see you, Dr. Baxter.”

She turned to me. “You must be, Mia.”

I nodded.

“It’s so nice to meet you. Kerrion has been telling me about his family. It’s so many of you, so it’s nice to put a face to a name. Come on in.”

She opened the door wider and allowed us inside. The space was tastefully decorated and had a warm and friendly atmosphere. I guess I could see his point about making her clients comfortable. She led us into the living room and directed us to sit on the couch while she took the chair across from us.

“Can I offer you anything to drink?” she asked.

“I’m good,” Kerrion said.

I shook my head.

“Well, then, let’s get started.”

I listened as she and my brother spoke a while about how he was dealing with his grief and guilt. It seemed so easy for him to talk to her. It had never been that easy for me to express my feelings. I’d spent so much of my life bottling up my emotions because they made me weak. The only thing I knew how to express without a shadow of a doubt was anger.

“Mia, why don’t you tell me a little about yourself?”

I blinked, not even realizing they had stopped talking, and all eyes were on me.

“What?”

“Tell me a little about yourself,” she repeated.

I frowned. “I thought I didn’t have to say anything?”

She smiled. “Just a little icebreaker.”

I sighed. “Nothing much to tell. I’m the baby of six kids. Found my father when I was fifteen. Only child on my mother’s side. I’m selfish, impulsive, and I don’t like being told what to do.”

Dr. Baxter picked up a notepad and scribbled on it.

“Is that really how you see yourself?”

I shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Be honest.”

I huffed. “Look, I’ve spent the better part of my life having to be the best because people counted me out. They thought I got by because of my last name, when I had to work ten times as hard to be twice as good. Nobody gave me a pass. Nobody handed anything to me. If anything, my expectations were higher because of who I am in certain spaces.”

“Sounds like you’ve been under a lot of pressure.”

“Pressure is an understatement. I’ve always had to have my own back.”

She looked at Kerrion. “You don’t feel like your siblings have your back?”

“That’s not what I said. This isn’t about my family. They stand ten toes down behind me, even when they give me gripe about how fucked up I am.”

“We don’t think you’re fucked up,” Kerrion defended.

“Look at me,” I said, motioning to myself. “Is this the Mia you know?”

“It’s not, but given the circumstances, nobody would be the same.”

“I don’t wanna talk about me anymore,” I said, folding my arms.