148 You Flatter Me

"What happened to you?" Jocelyn asked when the implications set in. 

She had already guessed that Keith had some sort of childhood trauma because of his low self-esteem and need for external validation. He had never said much about it though, likely for the same reasons she hadn't. 

He sighed and responded with two words. "Foster care."

Ah. Many of Jocelyn's clients were in foster care. She knew that sense of hopelessness well. That explained a lot. He tried to be whatever he thought people wanted him to so they wouldn't send him away like everyone else had. 

"How long?" she asked gently. 

"I went in when I was six and stayed until I aged out. Never got adopted. The court case with my dad lasted six years before his rights were terminated and by that point I was too old for anyone to be interested.