I chose two passages after discussing them with Chloe and Maya.

I said the book was not to become a reading of every painful night I had written down.

Chloe agreed.

Marcus asked what he should do if the exchange became too much.

“Bring it back to the wedding,” she said.

“We aren’t doing this for the rest of the evening.”

I looked at the two of them.

They had made room for my fears without handing those fears the whole decision.