Jolie tried to control her nervousness as she posed for Adam but was sure it all showed.  Every time she looked at the papers in her hand, she shivered at the thought of this nice man with the kind, intelligent eyes studying her knowing her dark secrets.  She felt such shame that her cheeks flushed and she felt their heat.  She was sure Adam noticed too, but he did not show any outward signs.  She felt it was one more sign of his benevolent nature, a nature that set him apart from her -- that doomed this bud of a relationship from its inception.  All these dark thoughts and worries of her heart, she knew showed on her face, even as she tried to be placid and opaque.  She just had one of those faces where everything internal showed through.<br/><br/>It was awkwardly quiet and tedious holding the poses, all the emotion that wanted to surge out of her.  Just when she thought she might explode or cry, Adam asked about her family.  Jolie took a deep breath.  He was making conversation.  It was what people did.  Ask about one's family.  Mundane information for most people.  It was the worst topic in the world for her, one more thing about her that she was sure Adam would not understand.  He looked so normal.  She was sure he was very close with his parents and their pride and joy.  They played board games together probably and had nice dinners together.<br/><br/>Jolie chewed on her lip, trying to find the right words to parse her situation so that this normal man might understand.  She just couldn't.  She couldn't make her say these things so soon, such intimate horrible truths to a man she hadn't even kissed.  She blinked back a tear and tried to speak in as calm a voice as she could muster, to avoid any further commentary on the subject she hoped.<br/><br/>"I -- I don't really have any family.  I'm on my own.  I've been on my own for some time."<br/><br/>She took in a deep breath and to make a further attempt at deflecting and changing the subject, she quickly asked in an uneven voice:  "How about you?  Do you have a family?"<br/><br/>