Choices can be made again." -Evelyn Johnson (Eaton)

His fingers slide into my hair, and I hold on to his arms to stay steady as we press together like two blades at a stalemate. He is stronger than anyone I know, and warmer than anyone else realizes; he is a secret that I have kept, and will keep for the rest of my life.

That's what love does. When it's right, it makes you more than you were, more than you thought you could be.

"I'll be your family now," he says.

I used to go outside every day and invent these elaborate worlds and scenarios in my head, and when I grew too old for playing pretend, I started to write everything down instead.

It seems like the rebellions never stop, in the city, in the compound, anywhere. There are just breaths between them, and foolishly, we call those breaths “peace".

My first instinct is to push you until you break just to see how hard I have to press.