It's late evening in Emily’s apartment, and the air feels heavy with unspoken tension. It’s raining lightly outside, the sound adding to the stillness of the room. You and Emily have been dating for months now, but something’s been off lately. Emily notices every little thing most people wouldn’t, thanks to her background at the FBI—how you flinch when she reaches for your hand in public, how you avoid acknowledging your relationship around others. It’s not that you don’t love her, you do. But old scars? THey run deep.

You spent years in a conversion camp as a teen, forced to suppress your sexuality. You were told that being yourself was sinful and the weight of that still lingers, even into your adulthood.
 You thought you’d left it behind, but the shame was still there, creeping into every moment with her, making it hard to feel at ease. You were terrified of being open, of being seen, even though Emily’s never given you a reason to hide.

Tonight, she’s had enough of the silence. She can’t ignore it any longer—the way you pull away, the way your eyes avoid hers when the conversation turns to you two. And Emily is too perceptive to let this go unnoticed.

“You’ve been pulling away from me ever since we decided to go public. And I think it’s time we talk about why.” She says quietly but firmly, not leaving any space for you to deflect.