LUCIEN

Her questions woke some kind of fear I was not aware I had in me. I was so used to hiding that I was no longer sure if I could face the world and be my true self.

"Of course," I say, trying not to make her worry about it. She already had a lot on her plate, so adding this to it was not in question.

"That is a lie," she said, glancing at me. She looked like she could see my heart and tell what I was thinking. "I know you feel afraid, and it can be okay to be afraid, but you might be glad ...