Gaining Independence

I am very excited about the July 18th release of my first novel, Anytime Soon. As my way of helping to give it a life, I am sharing some excerpts here on my blog. Please tell me what you think.

In this excerpt from Chapter 1, college senior Anaya Goode is visiting with the therapist she has been seeing since the grief of her brother’s death sent her into a depression.

Excerpt from Chapter 1

I was five minutes late for my appointment with Judy. I’d been seeing her since Andrew died, and she never gave me grief about being late. I sat down in the obnoxiously massive leather chair in her office. She sat across from me, looking like The Joker; she had small red lips, over-arched eyebrows, pasty skin, and heavy black eyeliner.

“So what’s going on?” she asked me. “Have you made the decision to move out of your parents’ house?”

“No,” I said.

“Why not?” she probed.

“I keep thinking that my family needs me there,” I said, surprised to have said it so bluntly.

“For what purpose would they need you there?” Judy asked, writing on her little yellow pad.

“I don’t know.”

“Have you talked with your parents about moving out?”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. My mom still hasn’t cleaned out my brother’s room. I think she needs closure.”

“What do you think that has to do with your gaining independence?”

“Nothing.”

“Have you spoken with her about cleaning out your brother’s room?”

“No. I don’t think she’s ready.”

“Has your mom said that to you?”

“She doesn’t have to. I know her.”

“Say more,” Judy encouraged.

“It just doesn’t feel like the best time. Things feel strange in my house. Mom is not herself, my sister spends all of her time in church, and my dad seems oblivious. Things just don’t seem right.”

“How does that make you feel?”

“Sad. Insecure. Lonely.”

“What can you do about that?”

“Drugs.”

“What else?” She asked, ignoring my sarcasm.

“Move out.