Valerie

The tension was so thick one could slice it open with a claw. I could feel the penetrating stares of everyone around me, but the two pairs of eyes facing me in the doorway held me stuck to the spot.

A tight knot formed in my throat. I felt myself, held back in time, pushed back to a similar moment years ago. They, appearing in the midst of my preparations, saw me, a scared young girl and said those harsh words, warning me to not embarrass them.

I hadn't minced those words when I'd told ...