The room was dark, only the glow of my computer screen illuminating the space. I sat at my desk, fingers poised over the keyboard, as the robotic voice of my screen reader announced a message from Colin.<\/p>\n
\u201cMessage from Colin: I love that author. One winter, I read nearly ten of his books. \u2018Love is War\u2019 is my favorite. What about you?\u201d<\/p>\n
I smiled, responding, \u201cGood choice. I might\u2019ve picked that one, but \u2018The Princess\u2019s Favorite\u2019 got to me. I bawled at the ending.\u201d<\/p>\n
We had bonded over books since meeting online, sharing favorites and thoughts late into the night. But there was something I couldn\u2019t share\u2014I was blind. And every time Colin asked to meet in person, I hesitated, making excuses.<\/p>\n
Then came his latest message: \u201cWait, you listen to books? You love audiobooks? I can\u2019t get into them. I need to feel the pages. Don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
His words hit harder than I expected. How could I explain that my world was different from his?<\/p>\n
I hesitated, then dictated: \u201cColin, I have to confess, I\u2019m blind. I rely on audiobooks.\u201d<\/p>\n
But I deleted it in a panic, quickly typing: \u201cI just love listening to books while multitasking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Days later, he invited me to a movie premiere. My heart raced. I couldn\u2019t keep hiding my blindness, but I wasn\u2019t ready to tell him.<\/p>\n
At the mall, I practiced the route to the theater with the help of a security guard. I was determined to make it work, but anxiety still gripped me. I had to hide the truth.<\/p>\n
When I met Colin, I kept my sunglasses on, lying that my eyes were sensitive to light. As we entered the theater, I lost track of my steps, and panic crept in. I lied, asking him to help me get to the cinema.<\/p>\n
During the movie, I struggled to follow the plot through sound alone. Colin pressed me about the details, but I fumbled through my responses, lying about scenes I couldn\u2019t see.<\/p>\n
Then, Colin confronted me. \u201cWhy are you lying? And why won\u2019t you look at me?\u201d<\/p>\n
I froze, my heart sinking. I had failed him. He walked away, and I searched the theater for him, admitting to a stranger that I was blind. But Colin was gone.<\/p>\n
Later, I felt someone sit beside me. \u201cYou\u2019re blind, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
It was Colin.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d I whispered, tearfully explaining my fear of losing him.<\/p>\n
He sighed, \u201cLying almost did. Can we start over?\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded. \u201cNo more secrets.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"