Hearing Alex say those words, all the fear I have carried with me since I learned to sit, stand, breathe—since I was told that at the very heart of me was something wrong, something rotten and diseased, something to be suppressed—since I was told that I was always just a heartbeat away from being damaged—all of it vanishes at once. The heart of hearts of me, the core of my core stretches and unfurls; making me feel stronger than ever before.

I open my mouth and say, "I love you too."

8 tracks