The Why Behind What We Feel

Chapter 3- Show Me

"Okay, what's your favorite season?" Aspen asks while we sit out on the patio of Freeze Zone, the local frozen yogurt shop.

We've been here for maybe an hour, but it's been so much fun hanging out with him. He's not at all like I expected him to be. He's so down to earth, so kind, so in tune with what he wants and what he feels. It makes him really easy to talk to.

"Fall, definitely," I answer, taking a bite of my strawberry swirl. "You?"

"Fall," he laughs. "Wow, we have a lot in common, huh?"

"We really do. So, where did you grow up? Are you from Louisiana?" I ask.

"Nope, never even been to the Big Easy before now. I was born in Colorado, and I grew up in Texas, mostly around the Houston area. I...moved around a lot as a kid," he answers. "What about you? Is Louisiana your home?"

"Yep, born and raised. I was born here in New Orleans, but I've lived Slidell, just across the lake, all of my life, with my grandmother."

"I bet she's proud of you," he smiles at me.

I smile back, nodding. "Yeah, she is. My dad was her only child, so I'm all that's left of her legacy. She wants me to do great things, change the world and all that."

"She must be great. You talk about her a lot," he says through a mouthful of yogurt, using his spoon to scrape every last bit of his Peanut Butter Brownie Surprise out of his cup.

I smile warmly at the thought of my sweet, but spicy grandma. "She's a strong, wise, loving, but sometimes very scary woman."

He laughs. "What does she think about her only granddaughter getting into John Hopkins?"

"She was very proud, of course, but the distance has been a tough pill for her to swallow."

"I can imagine. Does she have anyone else? Any other family around?" he asks.

"She has a sister that lives close by, so she'll be fine. And anyway, I'll only be gone for a few years."

"So you'll come back?"

I nod. "Yep. I intend to work here so I can stay close to her if she needs me. Plus, this is my home. It's all I've ever known. Us Cajun folks don't like leaving the bayou very often, and if we do, we seem to always find our way back."

He smiles like he's impressed by my answer.

"What about you? Where do you plan to work after graduation?" I ask him.

He appears to be caught off guard by my question, but surely he's given some thought to what his next move will be. He blows out a breath, his forehead wrinkling as if he's deep in thought. "Well, I don't really know yet. I guess with the field I'm going into, I could go anywhere."

"That's true. Where do your parents live? Do you want to live someplace near them?" I ask.

Being a psychology student, I notice things about people's body language that the average person may not notice. Like for example, Aspen is really tense right now, to the point I'm afraid he's about to get upset. His parents are obviously a touchy subject for some reason.

Unless...

Oh wow...

He wants to counsel foster kids because he was a foster kid. My mouth drops open when I put it all together, but I try my best not to let my surprise show. He may not want to talk about it and I don't want to stir up any painful memories for him.

When he looks at me, his green eyes seem to soften, as if he knows he can trust me. I've always had that effect on people, I guess. It's a lot of the reason I chose to pursue a career in psychology.