“You know independence—extreme independence—is a learned response, right?” I jerked back, those words hitting me harder than they should have. “What are you saying?” She held both hands up. “I’m not trying to criticize; I just know from my own experiences. It’s only natural that when you’ve had no one to rely on for so long, you start to truly believe you must always do everything yourself. You’ve learned this response; it’s not natural.
