Instead I now knew confidence had everything to do with being desired in return: a reciprocated lustful gaze, a gentle touch, a complicit chuckle. It had everything to do with being seen, finally: a sisterly hug, a pat on the back, a father’s confirmation. It had everything to do with the right to do nothing less than exist. For years I had been waiting for my life to start. And now, I decided, it finally had.
Real adulthood
