Ex Marks the Spot

by Gloria Chao

It’s impossible to have fun when your home situation forces you to grow up early.

I am not known for going with the flow, winging it, or ceding control. I need to know—and right now, please—if I’ve done everything I need to

the origin of the name comes from tragedy, in honor of a pair of lovers who died there by suicide in the ’40s. “Why was it Gong Gong’s favorite place?” “You love what you understand,” Jiayi says.

“Isn’t the point of this not just to get to the end, but the journey to get there?” Said by someone whose life isn’t about survival.

His mouth slowly curves into a smile. One I last saw four years ago. It’s not confident or mischievous or playful. It’s…shy.

being an adult doesn’t mean being devoid of emotions.” I can’t help thinking of my grandmother. “It means being able to confront, communicate, and work through them, often with someone else.”

oh OOF.

I used to think being an adult meant handling things on my own. But maybe I got that wrong too. Maybe being mature means knowing when you need to lean on others, especially the ones who love you.

My worlds are coming together. Because there’s just one world. There’s just me.

I’m finally starting to realize that we all have different relationships with our culture. There is no “right” way to do it.