Trail of Broken Wings

by Sejal Badani

never depend on another person for your happiness. If someone had the authority to give, then he or she had the authority to take away.

She cannot pinpoint when her expectation of good grades became Gia’s. When Gia accepted that her grades validated her. An A versus a B—one step on the spectrum and yet miles apart in meaning. Exceptional versus satisfactory. Standards set by society that first Marin and now Gia bows to. Marin could not fathom her daughter bringing home anything less than perfection—her name on every honor roll means Gia has flown over the bar and landed on her feet.

When you give a piece of yourself to someone, count on them to hold it safe, you become vulnerable. You depend on them, but they may not be the person you expected, the one you were sure could carry you. Then the disappointment becomes a burden to bear. It is better to keep yourself at a distance, never getting too close.

“Yes,” Ranee said, her mind starting to turn. “You need your eye medicine. If you went blind, how would I see?”