Warmth filled my cheeks as I quickly looked away. All my life, I’d been shunned, spat on, ridiculed for what I was. An entire village had once looked down on me, but tonight, they knelt. As I trailed my gaze over the surrounding faces, I found myself humbled by their show of reverence. My throat tightened, and I reached for my drink with a slight tremor in my hand, burying my discomfort in another sip of wine.
