"Of what are you most afraid?"
My words pierced the silence of the training yard as Luca stood with his back to me, his fists curled at his sides. Long shadows over the ground were created by the early light peeping through the trees.
With a tense voice, he responded, "I'm not afraid."
Yes, you are, I responded, approaching closely. "You withdraw every time we come closer; the relationship gets stronger. Why then?"
He whirled abruptly, frustrated grey eyes flashing. "The more the bond gets stronger, the more it can hurt us should it break."
His comments shocked me into quiet because their unvarnished sensitivity transcended whatever dispute we had.
At last, my voice gentle but firm: "I'm not going anywhere, Luca."
"You say that now," he continued, his voice weighed down. But friendships such as this... They bind us not just physically. They seize everything. And should anything occur to you—"
