When I told her my secret, she promised not to tell anyone, so the surprise was fierce when we were all in the car a few days later and, out of the blue, she announced it. It was a total non sequitur, and I was so stunned that I don’t remember the others’ initial reactions. The car seemed to slow down as my mouth hung open in silence, and then I tried to dodge their questions, asking me more about it. She was oblivious to my reaction. At age 8, I suddenly better understood the meaning of the word “trust.”
Rachel Lynn is a tech worker and singer/songwriter living in Austin, Texas. Find Rachel on Facebook at rachellynnmusicpage and on Bandcamp at rachellynn1.