Tease Me Once

by W. Winters

“If you don’t heal what hurt you, you will bleed on people who didn’t cut you.” - Unknown

“The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” The quote is meant to strengthen the bonds of soldiers on the battlefield. Those you spill blood with are closer to you than anyone else.

Life doesn’t acknowledge pain and the need to pause when it hits. We need to breathe, and life doesn’t care. It doesn’t stop and it doesn’t grant reprieves.

It’s painful to start over, but discomfort is part of growth. I can handle anything that comes my way today. I will handle anything that comes my way today. Everything that came before makes me strong enough to do this.

Everything in this moment takes me back to years ago. Back to when I first knew our lives weren’t like everyone else’s. There was something wrong with us, but we would survive if we had each other.

“Life might be fucked,” Jase said and met my gaze. “But we’ll never leave you behind. All right?”