you are sunshine . nyte . clue

[cass]

CASSIUS WELLS

I AM YOUNG AND BROKEN

It was foolish to believe that things could be different.

You’d finished the last year with a warmth in your chest that you had never believed would ever arise. It had blossomed within the constraints of the iron cage where you held your heart, pushing against the bars until it had leaked into a smile on your lips. The expression itself hadn’t taken long to leave your cheeks aching, your face not use to the movement. But it had remained on your mind every day since.

You’re a coward though, everyone knows it. You wonder if Naomi had expected you to try and contact her over the summer, or try and reach out. You hadn’t, instead, you’d remained locked away in your house, typing away on your computer as the days turned to night and suddenly the school year was starting again.

Cleo had made herself known almost immediately, from the moment you had stood before your class and tried to find the words to introduce yourself. She had already begun her goading and you had already tried to avoid it, but it appeared she was relentless this time. You’re not sure why she had picked you, or why she was so determined to grind you into dust. You had tried so hard to avoid these kinds of problems, it was why you wore a mask. Indifference was supposed to be your strength, but maybe you were wrong.

By the end of the first day, Cleo’s already shoved you against a locker, stabbing your ego over and over again with her words. You’re exhausted, shoulders slumped as you make your way out of the school, heading towards your favourite tree and ready to fight to hold yourself together.

That’s when you see her, she’d left the class before you and you’d been too scared to say anything. Too worried that you had ruined whatever fragile friendship you had built. Would that be your fault? You had said nothing and done nothing over the break, you had chosen this path only to regret it.

Maybe there was still time to reach for her.

This time when you step forwards there’s purpose buried behind the movement. Your head climbs a little higher as you make your way over to her. For a moment, your uncertainty threatens to get the better of you, but then, you set your mouth into a determined line and gently tap Naomi on the shoulder.

“Naomi?” you say, as you drop your arm. She looks as pretty as you remember, she smells like sunshine and spring and it makes your chest tighten. “I wrote another song over the summer.”

I AM COVERED IN SCARS

[presto]

WE ALL ARE

[/presto]

[maverick hale 🌧️ d5 [nyte]]

NAOMI VALERO

I GET A LITTLE JEALOUS, A LITTLE SELFISH

It hurts to admit Cassius had become so much more than a curiosity. Naomi prided herself on keeping a healthy distance from her peers, tangling herself among all of them but never so deeply that she could not escape. Superficial smiles meant safety, something that she didn't care about could never hurt her.

And she thought he might be an exception but it seemed he'd merely proven the rule.

Naomi's not sure what she expected. They'd shared a couple of coffees at an old cafe, laughed over silly song verses and said unwilling goodbyes at the end of sophomore year. It wasn't like they owed each other anything more than that. Of course she'd hoped to hear from him, but no part of her had believed she actually would.

She wasn't angry about it, in fact she'd managed to move on rather quickly. Cass deserved better than to be blamed for her own mistake. It was almost a relief coming back to school and knowing every change will have undone itself. Her chest didn't have to hurt when she heard the way others spoke to him, she wouldn't lose sleep worrying whether he was hiding bruises beneath his sleeves.

God knows this year was shaping up to be a disaster, a little bit of normalcy couldn't hurt.

"Naomi?" And then Cassius Wells pulls the rug out from under her. She jumps a bit, swinging around to face him with a polite smile that strains at the sight of him.

"Cass," She tastes the word carefully, hugging her textbook to her chest as though it were the a barbed-wire fence planted between them. It's then that she learns just how bad she is at lying to herself. She missed him. She's still worried about those marble eyes, she still finds a challenge in trying to set them on fire.

She hadn't moved on at all. "Did you have a nice summer?" She can't look at him as she says it, deigning to gaze at the scuff marks on the linoleum instead, "You must have been busy."

But she can't stay bitter for long, not when she's so relieved to be talking to him again. She knocks her shoulder against his gently, "A present for me? Now I feel bad I didn't get you anything."

Maybe it's okay nothing will ever be the same if it means they're still friends.

I'M JUST A LITTLE MESSED UP

[presto]

LIKE YOU

[/presto]

[cass]

CASSIUS WELLS

I AM YOUNG AND BROKEN

She says your name carefully, but it’s not really your name. It’s a nickname that she had bestowed upon you from the day you had walked to the bookstore together. It was a nickname that a few others had spoken of, but when it was on her lips it felt like it had meaning. There was no cruelness or contempt, there was simple confidence and warmth.

You realise very quickly that the feeling in your stomach is regret. You cannot understand why you didn’t reach out to her over the summer. Standing in front of her, it makes no sense, you let your emotions and self-loathing get too far ahead of you. It blocked out the sight of anything good that might step inside. Here it was, a flicker of a flame burning in your chest as she spoke.

The summer had not been busy at all. You’d spent most of it playing between the boarding school and your own home. At home, your mother scolded you for failing math, your father shook his head as you told him about the book you were writing. They weren’t activities he approved of, it wasn’t a career that he could support. It had been the same when you’d told them about the bullying, they’d brushed it aside boys will be boys or just shove ‘em back.

You didn’t tell them when the bullies almost drowned you.

“Summer was okay,” you say, feeling the heat creep back onto your cheeks as she pushes into your shoulder. There’s a bubble in your chest and it rises up through your throat. You try and hold it down, but you can’t stop yourself, the regret too heavy, “I’m sorry I didn’t reach out over the break.”

Forgive me. You hope she does.

Naomi isn’t wrong when she says it’s a present for her. The evenings you had spent by the lake had been spent with the song you had tried to write over and over again. In the end, it hadn’t been intentional, but your heart had laid waste to the paper. After all, Naomi had been the one to stir that desire within you to write songs again. You wouldn’t have even tried had it not been for her smile.

“Yes,” you say, thoughtfully, a small smile playing on your lips. “It is for you.”

You take a deep breath and nod towards the accommodation blocks, “come on, I’ll show it to you. Only if you'll sing it."

I AM COVERED IN SCARS

[presto]

WE ALL ARE

[/presto]

[maverick hale 🌧️ d5 [nyte]]

NAOMI VALERO

I GET A LITTLE JEALOUS, A LITTLE SELFISH

It's sad to think he used to keep this smile to himself. She's captivated by the way it sneaks onto his lips. "Yes. It's for you." And her heart thuds to a stop there and then, crawling into her throat as her breath catches between her teeth. A strange warmth bursts from where her stagnant heart settled, carving a gentle path along her veins. It's not painful, not even unpleasant, but intense enough that she almost loses herself entirely. She can't remember how to speak, let alone think of what to say, so instead she laughs to fill the silence and wraps a strand of hair around her finger.

"How could I say no to that?" Naomi manages. She doesn't mean for her voice to shake when she says it, like it's escaping on a breath she's been holding since they parted ways.

Pathetic. She pinches the inside of her wrist until it stings.

"When'd you get so smooth, Cass?" Maybe she hasn't forgotten all the bitter remnants of summer, but his apology was enough to let her push the lingering bits of bad into the back of her brain. It's more fun walk beside him, shoulder brushing against his as she struggles to fall into step with him.

(She really has to rethink the high-heel thing, even if her outfits suffer for it.)

Her hand hangs limply at her side, palm itching just a bit whenever her knuckles catch his skin. Curious. "I swear, my heart skipped a beat!" She laughs, but it's just a little too loud. "Ah now I know why you were so busy this summer," She smiles like a lightning strike, brilliant enough to obscure the way it doesn't reach her eyes. "You were off breaking hearts,"

She clicks her tongue, shaking her head as though chastising him. Naomi is just a bit too quick to meet his gaze, eager to see which expression he wears. Anticipation darts up and down her forearms, leaving goosebumps in its wake. His response to the gentle tease suddenly feels like it's the most important thing in the world, as though she's hoping for a response and dreading it all the same. It's all very strange but Naomi chalks it up to not being used to this whole 'friendship' deal. At least not since Maverick and Grady had fallen victim to their parent's pride. That felt like ages ago now.

"As long as you remember who your first friend was," He can't know how much she means that.

I'M JUST A LITTLE MESSED UP

[presto]

LIKE YOU

[/presto]

[cass]

CASSIUS WELLS

I AM YOUNG AND BROKEN

You agree with her. When had you become so smooth? Where had this burst of confidence come from? But it remains there, refusing to go away and bury itself in the broken parts of your body. Instead, it stays standing strong, energized by the way that she brushes up against your shoulder with every step that you take.

Another regret, nagging at the back of your mind. You had almost reached for her hand when you'd asked her to come and see your song. You'd hesitated, and here you were again, facing the results of your inability to act. It's like fire in your veins every time her hand brushes against yours. She's walking as close as she can, and you find yourself slowing your pace so that she doesn't have to struggle to match your longer stride.

Her laugh is filled with light, and you're sure she's the embodiment of spring time. You can tell that her voice is amazing, just from the way she carries it into her brilliant, beautiful laugh. You find yourself staring, eyes unable to look away as her face crinkles, smiling as bright as the sun. It swallows you whole, and you find your own heart skipping a beat as she speaks.

You don't want her to think of you in this way, your fragile pride is shaking by her. Compared to your lack of dignity in the face of bullies you want it to be strong and unbreakable around her. So you swallow, burying the sting down low and shoving it away to stop it from making you feel weak.

"I would never want to break yours," you say. You wish life could be as simple as that promise, it weighs in your heart almost immediately. You've never spoken so freely, without chains to your ankles. You mean it, you can feel it in your heart, in the way that it falls from your lips with such delicacy and care.

Twisting forwards as the boarding houses appear before you, you reach for the door handle. The door is made of polished wood, it's thick and heavy and you tug it open quickly, moving inside. Turning around you peer back outside, where Naomi is standing. You wonder what you did to deserve this moment in your life, where you can stare at another and feel safe. You can't remember the last time it didn't hurt, or you didn't feel the fear creeping into your veins.

"That place will always be yours." Your number one friend.

It feels like the thousands of books you've read and the hundreds of stories you've written. You wonder if some part of this rises from a desire to be like the protagonists that litter history, where the hero steps forwards and helps the beautiful woman before him. Because you can't stop yourself from reaching a hand towards Naomi and extending it, offering it to her with a warm smile.

I AM COVERED IN SCARS

[presto]

WE ALL ARE

[/presto]

[maverick hale 🌧️ d5 [nyte]]

NAOMI VALERO

I GET A LITTLE JEALOUS, A LITTLE SELFISH

Her mother wasn't one for physical affection. They were women of fine breeding, pristine and poised and far too good to dirty themselves with things like that. It was a habit she'd passed down to Warren, who always preferred actions to empty platitudes and simple comfort. Naomi figured she was broken because that only left her feeling lonely. She never thought she deserved anything different, only that she should be better at bearing the pain.

Cassius is nothing like the life she knew. He's got this warmth that burns like a brand - agonizingly comfortable. He's a strange little wrench thrown into her gears with tangled curls and a smile she sometimes pretends is just for her. Every time she thinks she gets used to his presence, another screw comes loose. Naomi has had friends before, ones that she's sure she loved, but she can't figure out what makes this one feel so different.

Naomi lives by a set of rules as though that alone could stop her from getting caught up in frothing currents. A balance meant to keep her sane as well as safe. She digs her heels into the riverbank and refuses to even touch the water for fear of it capturing her completely.

The river isn't supposed to look so inviting.

They make it to Cassius' room and he looks at her like she's made of stardust. Naomi can almost see herself gleaming in his hollow eyes as he extends a hand toward her. (I will never break yours. That place will always be yours.) She knows what he's asking for now -

a little piece of her heart. A keepsake so that she may replace what she lost with his too.

"I believe you." She holds her breath. She leaps.

Cassius' touch is unbelievably gentle, so much so she almost pulls away the minute her fingers make contact with the heel of his palm. It hurts to be brave but she wills herself to slot her fingers in between his, squeezing a little too hard when they've found their place. "You look like a prince right now, you know."

She continues into his room, taking a seat on the foot of his bed and using their newfound connection to tug him closer. "Maybe that should be your next story."

I'M JUST A LITTLE MESSED UP

[presto]

LIKE YOU

[/presto]

[cass]

CASSIUS WELLS

I AM YOUNG AND BROKEN

You hold your breath, suspended in that point in time as your hand itches. The surprise that bursts forth is warm, it swallows you whole and the smile on your face deepens, stretching to your eyes. You cannot remember the last time happiness felt so comfortable. The sting on your cheeks as your muscles protest doesn't even make you hesitate. It didn't matter, not when the warmth of the hand against yours is so gentle.

There hasn't been a moment on your life where you can remember your cheeks aching from the smile you wore. There were too few pictures you could paint of a happy childhood, memories of old so fuzzy that when you press down on them, they only grow murkier. If someone were to ask you for your happiest memory you would have to say this moment right here. If you allow yourself to think longer then that you'd fall into a well, drowning the same way those boys had made you suffer.

When she entwines her fingers between yours, you look down lost in the moment. Your gaze is focused on the way another person's hand can feel against your own. It is something you have written about in stories, filled pages of lives lived and loved. But you had always felt as though you had never quite written it right; and now you can see why.

There's a feeling; a tightness in the chest, a drop in the stomach that words cannot describe. Even with the hundreds of thousands of words you know -it's stuck, balancing on your tongue as you squeeze Naomi's hand with your own. It reminds you of the touch of the first rays of the morning sun. The way that it greets you on a chilly morning and fills your veins with a fire that seeps into your soul.

"Princes are a lot brave than I am, I think I need to work on standing up for myself before you can call me one." It's a promise to yourself at this moment, that you'll try to be better.

You follow her to the edge of the bed, sitting down beside her, your shoulders brushing together. There's no reason to keep holding hands, but you remain that way, content in the space around you. Last night you had laid down on this bed and tried to fight back tears, fearful of the new year before you, and terrified of whatever torture people might come up with. You feel stronger now, a little braver, as though you might be able to make it through till the following Summer.

"I should, I think I have a better idea of what makes a hero a hero now. My story might come out a lot better this time," you say, squeezing her hand for a moment. You turn your gaze to your desk, reaching forwards until you can grab hold of the notebook that sits by the edge.

"Here," you hand her the notebook, flicking it open to a page you'd marked with a pressed flower. "This is the song, I wrote it for you."

I AM COVERED IN SCARS

[presto]

WE ALL ARE

[/presto]

[maverick hale 🌧️ d5 [nyte]]

NAOMI VALERO

I GET A LITTLE JEALOUS, A LITTLE SELFISH

Most proper heroes are perfectly boring. Self righteous, self sacrificing, so narcissistic that they take on the fate of the world simply because they were born with an ego three sizes too big. Without a doubt they'll fuck it up for half the book before finally stumbling into a solution. Nothing is so simple and everybody wants to believe they're that perfect. Naomi always found herself exasperated as she flipped through the pages of old fairy tales. "Don't say that, Cass." There's so much more to him than he wants to see. It's hard to miss the way he stares at mirrors like they're prison bars, like he hates what he's seeing.

She doesn't understand how he's come to believe he's not good enough. Her thumb picks a path across the side of his of its own accord, tracing senseless patterns as though to soothe away the uncertainty. "I think we could use a hero like you," Her head falls on his shoulder so she mumbles it into his sleeve, feeling awfully empty when he leans away to grab his notebook.

It feels like they're tucked away in their own secret world. There's an unopened letter waiting on her dresser, a thousand words to practice in front of a mirror to make sure she looks perfect saying them, she should be doing anything else. Making a good habit of being this careless is a bad idea, but right now there's no place Naomi would rather be. She's sure of that.

She tears into the book, like a child opening the last present on Christmas morning. Its a little hard to maneuver the pages one handed but that's preferable to the alternative of letting Cass go. Her fingers trail across the words as she reads them, fighting back a strange emotion that seems intent on welling behind her eyes. It's like her fingers dance across his heart, the one he poured onto the pages while thinking of her.

"You're so brave," She squeezes his hand, swallowing so that she can force the words out. There's mist in her eyes but she's well practiced in holding back storms. "Braver than I'll ever be."

She looks up from the notebook, letting her gaze trails across every inch of him like he's something to savor. Maybe he is? Time spent with Cassius is like carving out a tunnel through a cliff. Feelings and thoughts she's never even considered before haunt her, threaten to consume her and as desperately as she wants to pull away she's sure that'd be the worst mistake to make.

"I'm sorry about that."

I'M JUST A LITTLE MESSED UP

[presto]

LIKE YOU

[/presto]

[cass]

CASSIUS WELLS

I AM YOUNG AND BROKEN

You’re not sure what she means by that, you’re no hero. A hero would have stepped in front of Scarlet and warned her against walking into that party. A hero would not have sat back, staring at her bright, cheerful figure, watching as she disappeared into the house. If you were a hero, you’d have gone after her, spared her from the pain you had spent your entire life suffering.

Maybe she’d still be alive.

But she’s gone, and the regret and guilt that sits in your stomach cannot be taken away. It’s stuck there, and you promise yourself that you’ll try harder for the next person to be in that position. You’d let her down, maybe you could save the next one.

The way her head fits on your shoulder is perfect, you can smell her hair, and you’re absolutely right that she is sunshine. She reminds you of spring, the warm gentle touch of petals as you walk through a field. You could live in this smell, in the warmth that seeps into your shoulder and promises you protection. Moving away from the touch after you grabbed the notebook leaves a lingering note of regret, and you settle down back beside her hopeful that she will rest her head on your shoulder once more.

The way her finger moves over your hand is soothing, you find yourself lost staring at her face as her eyes gaze over the pages you’d given her. The hair around her face falls a bit, and your hand itches to reach forward and gently scoop it behind her ear. Her skin is soft, just like yours.

There’s a knot in your stomach and you hope that you’ve written something she will love, and by the time she looks up you know you’ve succeeded.

You smile, a warm fondness in the movement that you didn’t know you were capable of achieving. It falters for a moment when she calls you brave. That’s not true, you're simply moving through the motions of everyday life hoping that each day is a little better than the last. You glue yourself to the shadows in the hopes of hiding away from the eyes of the people who want to hurt you. You’re not brave, you’re terrified every single day of what people might say or do to you. It takes every bit of strength you have to carry on, to face them, and wear the mask you’ve tried so hard to build.

If you were brave, you’d have helped Scarlet, you’d have stopped the countless kids you’d seen being bullied. Instead, you look away, unwilling to step in and face the repercussions -no one had helped you, not once. Why were you supposed to help them?

“Showing you this song is probably the bravest thing I’ve ever done,” you lean forwards, pointing out one of the verses. “I’ll sing this one, show you the tune and then I can use my guitar and you can give it a go.”

You laugh before releasing a tight breath, the fear in your stomach swirling as you realise what you’re about to do. Too late to back out now, you think, a wry grin on face.

“'Cause when you go, like summer gaze to the rain
I am uncertain, but I'm certain I am losing my way
When you let go, I don't see straight anymore
I am unwanted, I am broken, I am losing my core”

Your eyes stay on Naomi’s as the last few words fall from your lips. The blush on your cheeks speaks to the nervousness that twists your stomach. Running a hand through your hair you let out another chuckle, turning your gaze away as you try to slow down your racing heart.

I AM COVERED IN SCARS

[presto]

WE ALL ARE

[/presto]

[ song lyrics credit to Mree - When You Come Home ]

[maverick hale 🌧️ d5 [nyte]]

NAOMI VALERO

I GET A LITTLE JEALOUS, A LITTLE SELFISH

As Cassius sings - rough, unpracticed, but beautiful because of those imperfections - she can hear nothing else. The world is silent, almost reverent, as even the breeze stops to listen. Each stanza thuds against the inside of her rib cage, heavier than the heart it replaced. A deeper meaning is sewn in between the lines, Naomi is not a fool no matter how often she pretends to be, but she's far too preoccupied to worry about little things like that. A smile, so genuine it hurts, splits her face in half allowing for peals stifled laughter to slip into her palm.

Of course he plays the guitar. She thinks, so full of affection for her friend that she can feel little else. It's a wonder it isn't bursting out of her ears at this point. "You're beautiful," She almost says it, a simple slip of the tongue that has her biting down on it hard enough that it tastes of metal and secrets. "This is beautiful," She corrects, because that's what she meant.

Without even thinking about it she nestles closer into Cassius' side, arm wrapped loosely around his back to keep her balance while she reads the music over his shoulder.

Sight-reading always makes her nervous. It's meant to pick out imperfections she cannot afford to have. Eyes devour her on stage, looking to pluck at her seams until she's all unraveled. A mess of bloodied threads that were never so beautiful to begin with. One misstep and this facade comes crumbling down and she is truly, utterly worthless.

Fear overcomes her for a second, voice sticking in her throat as her fingers dig into Cassius' side. Whether they search for reassurance or courage she'll never know, but she finds whatever it is in his warmth. "Just keep singing with me," She whispers against the melody, waiting for one bar to pass before beginning the next verse of Cassius' song.

Their song.

It comes too easy, like these were melodies she was always meant to play. She sings a sweet piano, because this is a secret shared between them. Naomi isn't scared of what others would think if they saw them here, seated on Cassius' bed and pressed so close together as she sang, she only wants to protect it from prying eyes. It's moments like these that are too good to let rot.

Salvatore would eat it alive. Ruin it. Turn it into some political power grab or scathing secret to hold above their heads. That's all this place knew to do - consume.

Something like a fire has ignited within her, fed by every word she sings.

They won't take this from her.

She won't let them.

She finishes the song a little breathless, as though it had wounded her in some way. There was something awfully bittersweet about it, leaving her with an ache she couldn't shrug off. "If you don't think you're brave then I'll be brave for you." Naomi knows well the promise she's making, even if he doesn't. They are both cowards in their own right but she cannot look upon his soul and sit idle any longer.

There are things worth hurting for.

"Because I've never loved a song more than this. Can I keep it?" Because it's already replaying in her head, utterly and blissfully stuck there.

I'M JUST A LITTLE MESSED UP

[presto]

LIKE YOU

[/presto]

[cass]

CASSIUS WELLS

I AM YOUNG AND BROKEN

You remember when you were younger your sister used to love it when you played the guitar for her. She’d pick out a song from the top of her head and you’d take a moment, humming the tune to piece the sounds together before strumming it out. It made her smile, and sometimes even your mum would duck her head inside, listening for a moment before disappearing. Sometimes, if you were lucky even your father would sit down beside you and try to show you a few new chords.

That had never happened very often. But you remember each of those times, tucking them into a safe space in your mind.

Naomi says it’s beautiful and it warms your heart. You’d spent countless nights over the summer tearing up pages as you scribbled down words over and over again. Nothing had felt quite right, nothing had spoken the words you wanted to say or allowed you to organise the messy thoughts in your head. Finally, as the summer had come to an end it had settled itself down onto the lines on the paper. You’d felt happy, satisfied and more nervous than ever at the idea of actually introducing the piece to Naomi.

She nestles closer into your side, and you're acutely aware of the way her body feels pressed against your own. It makes your heartache, each touch something you’ve craved for such a long time. You’ve been starved of connection, feeling anyone - family or friends - hold you. Until now, you’d almost forgotten what it had felt like to experience arms pressed against your own and you can almost imagine what a hug might feel like.

You kind of want to pull her into a hug right now.

But she starts singing, and the idea of a hug seems so trivial, so small compared to the magic that spills from her lips. You hum along with the tune, vocalising in place here and there, emphasizing the points of beauty, but unwilling tp drown out the echo of her brilliance. It washes over you, goosebumps littering your skin as you turn your eyes to follow the way her lips move, and the way her face changes as she sings the words to your our song.

“You’re beautiful,” you say as the last strum of the guitar falls into silence. Your eyes haven’t strayed from her face, too captivated by the pure magic of what you had just experienced.

The words come from her lips like a promise, and you can’t help but wish that the world beyond this room does not exist. You cannot fathom how such simple, genuine kindness can survive in a world as cruel as this one. You’re scared, breath caught in your throat as you reach for her hand.

Now you know what it feels like to not hurt -because everything stops hurting when you’re with her. The mask that you so carefully crafted and placed on your cheeks was gone. You didn’t have to pretend, you didn’t have to hide and feel the fear lingering in your veins every moment of every second of every day.

You feel greedy for wanting your life to be more like this. The idea of feeling your heartache with pain, your stomach twist with anxiety and fear -they were all things you didn’t want. There’s a bitter taste on your tongue, a heavy desire to try and escape the life you’ve been forced to live all these years. You can’t stay in this cruel world if you want to be with Naomi. She deserves better. And it’s here where you decide that this tug in your heart is that feeling you’ve never been able to name.

They call it a crush.

You squeeze her hand, “I’ll try to be brave too, so I can stand beside you.” You place the guitar on the floor, unwilling to let go of Naomi’s hand right now. Pulling the notebook up you stare at the words you’ve spent so long agonising over. They had never been meant for you, so there isn’t a moment of hesitation as you had it over to Naomi, a smile on your face.

“I wrote the song for you, so it’s all yours. Keep it safe, ‘kay?” Maybe she can understand the meaning behind those words, the piece of you that you are handing over. You place it in her free hand, holding for a moment before letting go.

A part of your heart freeing itself as you leave it in Naomi’s care.

I AM COVERED IN SCARS

[presto]

WE ALL ARE

[/presto]