I wanted what most people wanted—love, companionship.<br />I wanted someone to touch. I wanted someone to touch me back.<br />I wanted someone to laugh with, someone who would laugh with me, laugh at me.<br />I wanted someone who looked and sawme . Not my power, not my position.<br />I wanted someone to say my name. To call out, “Merit,” when it was time to go, or when we arrived.<br />Someone who wanted to say to someone else, with pride, “I’m here with her. With Merit.”<br />I wanted all those things. Indivisibly.<br />But I didn’t want them from Morgan.