Shane decides to try something. “Yeah, me too. I got in a lot of trouble one time in school for repeating some of the curse words I heard one of my foster fathers say. As if getting in trouble at school wasn’t bad enough, when I got home he spanked me until I couldn’t sit.”

Bianca looks at her for a moment. She locks eyes with Shane and maybe there was something she could see deep inside of her. Something familiar. Some sign. Something that told her this adult knew what it was like to be her. “You had a foster family?”

“Yeah, lots of them actually.” Shane’s eyes show her deep and usually hidden sadness.

“How come?” Bianca closes her book and turns to face Shane.

This isn’t something Shane tells people. She never talks about her past. Her life before you met her is none of your business. But in this moment, with this girl, it almost seems like it’s her right to know. Like she needs to know. Carmen’s words echo in Shane’s head, ‘Let her know the real you.’ “Well, my Dad was never in the picture, my Mom’s a drug addict and there wasn’t any one else to take care of me. So when Mom went to jail, I went to foster care and just got bounced around from place to place.”

“Kinda sounds like my family.” Bianca’s big brown eyes look up at Shane.

“Are you in foster care?” Shane pretends she doesn’t already know the answer.

“Yeah, I hate it.”

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Shane asks.

“Mmhm. Two younger brothers.”

“Are you all with the same family?”

“My youngest brother lives with my Grandma. She can’t take all of us though. So my other brother and I are with a foster family now. He’s only eight so he’s at home right now.” Bianca sounds like she’s told this part of the story to a million adults.

“How old are you?” Shane asks trying to move the conversation in another direction.

“Twelve and a half.” Bianca sounds very proud to be so old.

“Practically a teenager.” Shane remembers what a big deal it was.

“Well, almost. Actually my half birthday isn’t for another two weeks.”