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"And your parents?"

"Aremy eyes "They live in Carlsbad, which is just north of San Diego I think I ists"

I pulled back to study her "How is it possible both of your parents are psychologists and you see, she pretended to shove my chest "That is such a stupid stereotype One would think if the parents were both very good shrinks, their children would be better adjusted, not worse"

"One would think" I felt ether in an arew up in Carlsbad before attending UCSD?"

"Mer back and forth across my collarbones "Happy childhood Cool parents Twin brother who only occasionally dated my friends" She seemed distracted, and confir irl"

"No demons, then?" Ifor a heartbeat "No demons"

I studied her face, slidingher very quietly, "That wasn’t very convincing" I had no idea why I’d asked that, but now I needed to know My chest grew tight with this feeling of diving deeper, ofThis here hat I needed but was also most terrified to seek: inti a little "But you first"

I blinked, surprised Despite having asked her this, I hadn’t really expected the question to be turned back on me "Well, I supposeback I realize ere rather poor, but children don’t often notice things likethey need My e, as I may have mentioned, was ratherquiet Especially compared with a childhood filled with rowdy brothers and sisters We didn’t argueus together at the end"

She brought her hand to ertip as she listened

"I suppose my demons are my reserve, and how I fear I spent the better part of my teens and all of my twenties with a woman I probably won’t know for the rest of my life It feels like a bit of a waste"

"Your reserve?" she repeated quietly

Nodding, I murmured, "I alonder if I come across the way I mean to with people"