#7

She jumped off of the couch and nearly sprinted into the adjacent room, eager to get away from her foster mother, not thinking of what she was getting herself into.

“Hello, Lux,” the shrink smiled softly, sitting in an armchair beside a pile of beanbags. “Sit with me?” She gestured to the beanbags, giving Lux a moment to choose a seat. “How are you?” she asked, pen poised, eyes lowered, and ears open, ready to pick the girl apart.

“Fine.” Lux deadpanned. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the bins of toys that seemed to ooze from a corner of the room. The childish things seemed out of place in the otherwise adult room.

“Is there anything you want to talk about, Lux?” The shrink tried to get her attention.

“I want to go home.”

“Home?” The shrink was intrigued. “Why?”

“I miss Russ and my parents.” Lux leaned back in her beanbag chair, crossing her arms over her body. Her mouth quirked in a sideways tick, almost a smirk, but not quite. “I just want my family back.”

“Who is Russ?”