“God? I’m ugly inside. And it’s not my fault. You know it’s not. I’ll take responsibility for some of it, but you’ve gotta own up to your part, too. Nobody saved me. Nobody gave a shit. Nobody came to my rescue.” I gulped, feeling the sorrow in my throat, making it hurt to swallow, but it was pain I’d been swallowing for a long time, and I forced it down. “So I’m asking you now. Can you take it away? Can you take away the ugliness?”

