Just like that, he slipped back into our easy rapport, but this time, I didn’t think it was to hide or run away. I think he recognized how close to some sort of metaphorical cliff I was, how deeply this second trial had messed with my mind. In the small amount of time we’d known each other, he’d learned my masks put me at ease. That I needed a semblance of control when everything inside me felt like spiraling. And here he was, sharing that control with me.
