It makes me sad. And then it makes me laugh, because sadness at any length is terrifying. (Jill A. Davis, Girl's Poker Night)

We walked along the beach as the sun sang out the final movement of another day. I felt younger than I ever had before. I was suddenly realizing that my innocence had been robbed. Christian was teaching me about the naïveté that I had blown past.

My face ached from laughing. We turned to circle back. He grew serious. I wondered what I had done wrong. The sun was gone completely by this point and replaced by stars. I could feel the dark of the night.

“I was born when my mother was eighteen. Her parents were pretty strict with her and she was a good kid but she had made a bad call I guess.” He shrugged. “People do that.” I nodded vigorously, I knew it well. My entire life was a string of bad decisions. “My dad was in a band¹ and he was just passing through. My mother thought she loved him. She’s sweet like that,” he said sadly. “She only sees good in people. He left and she could never get in touch with him again. Her parents kicked her out. She was in a tough spot. She went to an abortion clinic.”

“No,” I gasped. I forgot that I already knew how the story ended.

“It was even more taboo back then and a lot more dangerous. There were protesters outside and they were angry and my mom doesn’t deal well with confrontation. She started to cry as she tried to make her way through them.”

I got a cold chill.

“Is it too much for you?” he asked looking directly at me for the first time since he started his story.

“No, no.”

He smiled that curious little uneven smile. I liked him so much I thought I’d vomit.

1 Band name removed for legal reasons (but it’s one of the big ones, big as a cockroach or a… I’ve already said too much.)