This Is How It Always Is

by Laurie Frankel

‘For the moment’s all there is, my darling.’

If an eyeball sticker was creative self-expression, surely Claude should wear what he wanted to school. How could you say yes to webbed feet but no to a dress, yes to being who you were but no to dressing like him? How did you teach your small human that it’s what’s inside that counts when the truth was everyone was pretty preoccupied with what you put on over the outside too?

‘Story is the best magic there is.’

‘I guess I’m complicated. I’m hard to explain. I’m kind of a weirdo.’