I really didn’t understand how it was possible that I had seen this man countless times and yet every single time I saw him, my heart slammed against my ribcage. At first, it stopped beating, then started all over again with a vengeance, racing so fast in my chest, that I wouldn’t be surprised if it just ran itself into a heart attack.

It was like I was seeing him for the first time all over again. Was that even normal?

I would ask Balery if it was, but she would only see that as an opportunity to blow things out of proportions and, God forbid, tell me that I...