"All right?" he asked, barely approaching.
"Yes," I answered. "I was just watching."
"It's an interesting environment, isn't it?" he remarked. "Everyone looks, everyone measures."
"They always do," I said. "The difference is that now it doesn't bother me."
He smiled.
"That shows."
We continue talking. We laughed at some point. Alexander made a witty comment about one of the previous speeches and I couldn't help but let out a genuine laugh. I felt comfortable. Present.
At one point, he leaned a little more towards me.
"By the way," he said, "you look impressive tonight."
It was not exaggerated. It was non-invasive. It was said naturally.
"Thank you," I replied. "I feel... aligned."
And I was.
The ceremony progressed. The lights dimmed slightly, and a presenter took the stage. Th
