It wasn’t passion or even ambition that motivated her. It was an overwhelming desire to be worthy. She was still, even now, trying to earn her place, as if she didn’t have the same right to be here unless she had something to offer. She peppered Cole with gifts that all seemed to cry out, Do you like me yet? She’d tried so hard to be seen, to prove she had value. And it had worn her out. Earning her worth had exhausted her.
