*Sabrina*
Gabriel doesn’t run when he hears my authentic voice. He just stares at me like I’ve set the entire city ablaze, and he’s already made peace with the fact that he’d rather stand beside me in the flames than walk away unscathed.
So I start talking about the future. “We don’t use ships as much anymore in the twenty-first century. Unless it’s for cargo or fun. We fly through the air in massive airplanes that carry hundreds of people. We can cross the ocean in less than a day.”
His eyes brim with curiosity and wonder, but I don’t give him a chance to ask questions just yet. For the first time in what feels like forever, it feels good to speak freely, to finally share who I am and where I’m from without fear or hesitation.
“In my time, we can talk to people across the world with l
