A Beautiful Poison

by Lydia Kang

She understood having no security in the future, even if that meant the next five minutes. You swayed on a little trapeze of fate, waiting for the slightest breeze to knock you off. A lost job, a broken bone that might bring expensive doctor’s visits. Or something worse.

But it was tiring, so tiring to never be in full possession of yourself. She was a woman, after all. It was their lot in life, wasn’t it? Never to own yourself completely.

There were only so many pieces of your heart that could be damaged before it irrevocably changed you.

The most acceptable gifts . . . are the ones made precious by our love of the giver.”