Somehow I forgot about this story the past couple of days...I wasn't sure how to approach Sophie's therapy appointment. Sophie says those things about her therapist cause that's how i feel about mine. Except I have a guy.

Chapter 7

Nervous was an understatement when referring to Ryan at this particular moment. A week ago they had made the appointment for Sophie's first therapy appointment. They had taken the time to explain everything to the child, answering any question she had for them as best as possible. Ryan wasn't even sure why he was so nervous. He wasn't the one that would have talk to the stranger. They were here for Sophie, he had to keep reminding himself of that.

Sophie held her big brother's hand tightly trying to assure him that everything would be okay. She, out of the her and Ryan, was the least nervous. Although, she really didn't understand why they were sending her to a therapist. Her Mommy and Daddy hadn't made her go to one.

"Sophie Cohen." A tall lady with dark hair appeared out of the door directly in front of Ryan and Sophie. Sophie smiled at Ryan one last time before getting up and walking towards the door.

"Mr. Atwood, I would like to speak to you after I speak with Sophie." The woman grinned. Ryan only nodded not sure if he could speak. He didn't want to sound as nervous as he was feeling.

He was starting to wonder if this was worse for him or Sophie. She didn't seem to be worried at all but he was.

-

"Hi, Sophie I'm Dr. Harris." Sophie watched as Dr. Harris walked over to her desk showing Sophie the chair she was supposed to sit in.

Sophie didn't like this room. It was too dark. She felt that some nice bright walls would help improve this room. Sophie sat down in the seat. It was hard. It was much worse than the dark room all together.

"Hi." Sophie spoke to the older woman not really paying attention but more looking around the room. There were pictures cluttering one wall. The people in them looked young but each different. None of them looked anything like this doctor. "Who are they?" Sophie pointed towards the pictures.

"Oh, those are my clients. Other boys and girls just like you who I've helped." Dr. Harris smiled at Sophie opening some sort of notebook.

"I don't need help." Sophie spoke quickly. "What are you writing down?" Sophie noticed the woman was writing something down in the notebook. She wasn't sure if she liked that. She felt it rude that this woman was writing while she was supposed to be paying attention to her.

"Just some things." Dr. Harris smiled before leaning on the desk with her hands together. Sophie didn't like her smile. It seemed strange.

"That's not nice." Sophie wrinkled her nose at her.

"How old are you Sophie?" Dr. Harris asked.

"Seven." Once again Dr. Harris wrote something down. "Did you know my Mommy and Daddy?"

Dr. Harris looked up at Sophie. She hadn't figured that the little girl would come right out and say something about her parents. She had talked directly to Taylor Atwood, she had explained everything about Sophie's parents and how Sophie was now living with her and her husband.

"No, I didn't but according to Taylor they were great people."

"Yeah…Taylor loved Mommy and Daddy. She said they were more like her parents than her real parents were." Sophie spoke up. She wasn't sure why she trusted this woman, she just did even if she hated the woman's office, the chair and her smile. She still seemed nice.

"How do you like living with your brother and his wife?" Dr. Harris asked her.

Sophie shrugged. "It's okay, not like living with Mommy and Daddy cause Caden cries a lot but Taylor holds me when I cry. That's really nice of her."

"You like Taylor alright?"

"Yeah. She's amazing but sometimes she speaks in French and it's really weird." Sophie scrunched up her small face. Dr. Harris let out a small laugh. "Ryan told me that's just the way she is. He also says she really crazy so I should just overlook her when she rambles or says something silly."

"Do you like Ryan?"

"Very much! I love my real brother, Seth, but Ryan's always been around. Seth used to be gone a lot but now he lives down the street from where I lived with Mommy and Daddy." Sophie got a bit sad.

"Do you miss them?" The doctor asked her. Sophie gave her a strange look. She figured the woman would already know that.

"Yeah, Mommy used to tell me that she'd always be around for me." Sophie looked down at her hands.

"Is it hard?"

"What do you mean?" Sophie asked her.

"Being without your parents." Sophie wasn't sure if she liked talking to this woman anymore so she just glared at her.

"I don't wanna talk about my Mommy and Daddy anymore."

Dr. Harris smiled nodding. She knew it would take Sophie a little while to discuss her parents leaving her the way they had.

-

"She's a bright little girl." Dr. Harris spoke to Ryan. He shifted uncomfortably in the chair. He had sat in the small waiting room for the past hour worried about how Sophie was doing talking to this strange woman. She had come out smiling sucking on a red sucker some of his nerves had subsided, but only some of them.

"Yeah…" Ryan looked back at the closed door. Sophie was on the other side of that door playing with the toys in the waiting room with Dr. Harris's secretary. "So, she's okay and everything?" He turned back towards her.

"She will be." Dr. Harris said simply. Ryan didn't want to hear that.

"So, she's not doing good right now?" He asked her.

"She won't talk about her parents just yet but I know before too long she will. Just give that time. Now, I want to see her every once a week, Wednesday afternoons. That's all. I don't have much to discuss with you. She only shared as much as liking you and your wife but Mr. Atwood I can tell you she's going to be okay in the long run."

That was much better. Ryan let out a deep breath. He really hoped he wasn't letting Sandy and Kirsten down. That was the last thing he wanted or needed, even if they couldn't tell him directly that they didn't like him doing this to their daughter.

-

Ryan walked out of the doctor's office with Sophie's hand in his.

"Do you like Dr. Harris?" Ryan asked her opening the back door of his car so she could climb in.

"She's okay. Has a funny smile. Her office is too dark." Sophie told him. Ryan laughed a little before walking around the car to get into the driver's seat.

"So, she's nice?" Ryan questioned.

"Nice enough." Sophie said simply.

"That's good." Ryan nodded still not sure he liked this too much but he trusted his wife and if this is what she thought was best for his little sister then he'd go along with it.