" She’s so afraid,” Alex said after she retreated from view. “You know why?” “Um, because you’re big and scary?” “Because she already knows about possibilities. Long as you know there are options in life, you get scared of choosing the wrong one.” Toni leaned away from him and gave him a mistrustful smile. “Okay, Einstein. Easy with the philosophy.” “No, really. She’s like a thousand different people right now, all waiting to be, and every time she makes a choice, one of those people goes away forever. Until finally you run out of choices and you are whoever you are. She’s afraid of what she’ll lose by coming out to see me. Of who she’ll never get to be. "
― Nathan Ballingrud , North American Lake Monsters