It had been in Greece, over ten years ago now, that she had first learned the joy of doing things when no one was looking. Prior to the fourteen months she had spent in the country, her entire life had been a race to a never-ending series of finish lines, all designed to impress someone else. She was the exceptional A student in Rochester, the all-state gymnast and debate team star, the one who had to succeed enough to make up for the other children her parents were unable to have. Then she was the scholarship kid at Columbia, clinging to the bottom rung of the upper echelons, outdoing herself at every turn to prove her worth to them—and then, specifically, to Danial. But then, finally, she found herself in Greece, where no one was watching. She often thought that she grew up more in the solitude of that time than she ever had, before or since.

The quiet buzz of an incoming message vibrated from inside her purse. Without thinking, Alex reached over to the writing desk – nothing was much further than arm’s length in this room – and slipped it out of its dedicated pocket.

Bee: Hey – everything okay? You missed waffles at breakfast again!

Alex only looked at the message for a moment, struck by its simple kindness in light of her childish behavior. She felt her body sink beneath her, settling down on the chair as her eyes moved over the words a second time. Alex wanted to write back that she was not okay, that she could use some of her grounded energy right now, that she would drain her bank account for an emergency astrological session which could give some explanation for her constant missteps. But instead, she sent back a simple

I’m good, thank you for asking.

She set her phone down, leg bouncing up and down as she considered what she’d written. Her mind went to that person she became in Greece, the one who was full of unapologetic, curious energy, the one who never felt the need to be someone else. That person felt so different from the one she’d been the past few months, in anticipation of the trip and even more so on the Verseau.

Before she had a chance to think better of it, she picked her phone back up, typing a follow-up question that better self would have no problem asking:

Alex: Btw, what was that astrology app you were talking about?

Bee: MOONBEAM.

;)