He tilts his head, aiming a confused smile at me. I try to smile in return, but my lips don’t want to comply. I don’t know how to explain how wonderful it feels to be cared for, even in this small way, after all this time tending my dad, how dark it’s been, how lonely I’ve felt, even though I’ve been surrounded by family, the people who love me most. Even as I think that, I find myself wondering, Do they really love me, though? Can they, when they don’t know who I truly am? That’s part of why I’m so exhausted, I realize. I’ve been masking nonstop for months, for my dad, but also for my mom and
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