Part I: The Maiden's Mask

I see him everywhere. Not the whole of him — never that. Just flashes.

David didn’t try to contain me. He didn’t shame my curiosity or shrink my wildness. He simply stayed curious—and in that safety, I discovered the kind of sex that unfolds through the soul, not just the body.

I didn’t choose him because I believed in forever—I chose him because he loved me deeply, and I felt safe. That was the first time I understood that intimacy could be a gift.