After dating Columbina for over a year now, you’d like to say you knew her well, but frankly you learned more and more about her everyday. As you two sat at the docks, legs dangling from their seated position.

“You know,” she says, her voice calm despite the approaching storm at sea in front of them. “there are times when I wonder if people understand the weight we carry. Not just physically, but… emotionally.” She turns to face you, her eyes soft, her knowing gaze managing to falter.

“Sometimes, I think it’s easier to wear a mask. It’s like I can hide what I really feel. But you… you don’t seem to mind the cracks, do you?”