Quiet | Kaylor

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They found a well-reviewed clinic about 45 minutes from their house that specialized in therapy for autistic kids. Taylor scheduled Josie for an appointment as soon as they returned from Rhode Island. She knew from her own experiences in therapy that the right therapist could be difficult to find, and it was unlikely for the first one you tried to be the one that fit best with you, so it was best to start the search with Josie early.

They pulled in at 10:45, a full half hour early for Josie's session. They were going to start slowly: it was only 30 minutes long. For now, she was only going to go to try talk therapy, which was a new experience for her. If things worked out with that, they would move forward with finding behavioral therapies.

It was during these types of moments and situations that Taylor was most grateful that she had the money to afford the best possible care for her family. Her heart ached for those that didn't have that privilege, and she made a mental note to donate more to charities having to do with autism.

The three of them sat in the waiting room in silence. It was painted a light blue and had large windows which let in natural light. There was a relaxing feel to the atmosphere, which helped to put all three of them at ease somewhat. Josie kneeled on the floor and played with a bead maze in a corner well-stocked with children's toys. For several minutes, the only sounds were the clinking of beads against metal, the slight hum from the fish tank, and an occasional rustle as Karlie flipped a page of the newspaper she was only half reading.

At 11:13, (not like Taylor was obsessively checking the time or anything) a tall man walked in with a clipboard. "Josefina Vera?"

"That's us," Karlie said, folding her newspaper and standing up. "Josie, it's time to go in."

"You all can follow me back to the room," the man said. As they walked back, Karlie noticed Josie cross her arms and hang her head slightly so that her hair fell into her face. It was as though she was trying to fold into herself, trying to make herself as small as possible.

"Well, I guess introductions are in order," he said once Karlie, Taylor, and Josie had settled onto the couch. "I'm Jackson," he said with a warm smile, "It's nice to meet all of you!" Once pleasantries had been exchanged, he addressed Josie specifically: "So, Josefina, if you feel more comfortable with Karlie and Taylor here, they can stay, but if you're okay with it, the two of us can talk alone."

"We'll be out there waiting for you," Taylor reassured her, "Jackson is super awesome, and I promise you two will have fun. He's going to be able to help you a lot more than Karlie and I can. We can stay if you really want, but it's probably better if you two are alone."

"Okay," Josie said softly, even though her chest felt sort of squeezy, "You can go."

They filtered out of the room, leaving Josie and Jackson sitting across from each other. Josie's feet dangled off the couch. She wasn't tall enough for them to reach the ground yet, so she swung her feet back and forth, kicking her shoes against each other so they would light up.

"So, Josefina, how are you doing today?" Jackson asked.

"You can call me Josie," she said.

He smiled. "Josie. I like that. Well...do you know why you're here today?"

She shrugged. "Karlie and Taylor wanted me to talk to you because they think you can help me."

"That's right. I'm kind of like a doctor, except for instead of their body, I help people with their brain." He paused for a moment. "Hey, do you like coloring books?"

Josie's eyes lit up. "Yes!"

"Awesome! I've got a couple over here. It might be more fun to talk while coloring. Just talking to people can get a little boring, don't you think?" Jackson pulled out a stack of coloring books ranging from princesses to spongebob. Josie picked out a Star Wars one and flipped through until she found a page with Princess Leia.