Borrowed Light for My Youth

On senior picture day, the fall of our last year of high school, I did what I always did and stood next to Lena, the girl I'd grown up with.

One of our classmates started in on us.

"Come on, let the little married couple stand together!"

I'd heard it a hundred times, but the secret I was keeping still put color in my face.

Lena didn't say anything.

Then the photographer counted down, everybody yelled "Cheese," and I heard her voice next to me, low and flat with irritation.

"This is exhausting. Can you give me some space?"

It was her.