He believes me. But that is nothing new. He always did because I was a rule follower. I played by the rules he understood. But there are new rules now, ones he doesn't know yet. He'll learn. Just as I'm learning.

...and time becomes a forgotten detail.

Which weakness shall I tell her? “I walk funny,” I say, and she’s satisfied with that. (inside joke)

It's the unknown that I fear, the bites of memories that still have no connections.

He believes me. But that is nothing new. He always did because I was a rule follower. I played by the rules he understood. But there are new rules now, ones he doesn't know yet. He'll learn. Just as I'm learning.

But I am more than a name. More than they tell me

it is amazin, she thinks, how simple appearances can be created - a rush, a smile, a new coat of paint, a slow, calm voice, a hug, a new dress - a resolve to keep out questions and cling to secrets