Charli
They say that men fall in love faster, but women fall harder. I didn't know if that were true. I didn't know much of anything as leaves swirled and danced about Nox and I in the late summer breeze. Beyond the small world of our park bench, people carried on their daily routines completely oblivious to the declarations being made. Some ran while others walked. Mothers pushed babies in strollers with wheels large enough to be upon a bicycle, and others walked dogs of all sizes, tethered to leashes and unimpressed with the other canines that they passed.
As Nox's words registered, my mother's expectations crashed down around me.
The pressure in my heart and chest was crippling as everything multiplied.
Love.
Duty.
Legacy.
Nox.
Had I ever been loved—truly loved?
The unfamili
