text: Shine by: Jason Scott He didn’t like how brightly she would shine. He said it hurt his eyes, that it would hurt him if she continued to shine the way she did. Out of respect for the man that didn’t respect her at all she would cover up. Wearing a trench coat, wide brimmed hat and sunglasses, she would hide herself from the world because she was told she needed to. She was made to believe that she would hurt someone if allowed to shine as bright as she had been. For years she kept that costume hiding her true self. One day she had enough and she left him but his voice echoed in her ears. *You’re too bright. No one wants to see you shine like that. Cover up or no one will ever love you.* Then one day she met a man that looked at her a way no one else did. One day while walking together she stumbled and her hat and glasses flew off. The light from behind beaming out, being freed after years of hiding. She quickly fixed her disguise, worried he would judge her and leave. But he didn’t. There he stood, unmoving and staring, mouth agape and eyes fixed upon her. Stepping towards her he stretched out his hands toward her hat but she quickly backed off, sliding a hand to her head to make sure it didn’t move, but he didn’t give up. He walked towards her again and this time she didn’t move. He slowly raised a hand looking at her for permissions, and took off her hat. *This is it, he’s going to leave.* But he didn’t. He took off her sunglasses and she looked at the ground, afraid to look up as the voice in her head echoed again. *If he sees your light he’ll run. Don’t look.* He furrowed his brow, smiled and pushed the trench coat over her shoulders. It slowly fell to the ground. This was it, her disguise gone, her armor shed. She was afraid to look up thinking that the man that had helped her to get rid of it would be gone. Slowly she lifted her head and opened her eyes. She gasped, and tears started forming in her eyes. He was still there, smiling at her. Staring confused, she thought to herself *why isn’t he running?!* He slowly raised his hand up, grabbed the bill of his baseball cap and lifted. Light burst from him mixing with her own and lighting the entire area around them. He removed his sunglasses and behind the light were tear filled eyes. Unable to contain herself she began to laugh while crying, her two hands covering her mouth and fell against him. With her head on his chest and his arms around her she looked down on the ground at the trench coat, hat and glasses, then back up at him. As they locked eyes they both smiled at each other, their light mixing together and shining now twice as bright.