My Secret
In our world, there was only one duo of heroes, me and my brother. Together, we had saved 1,967 lives, each number etched into my memory. But to keep those people safe, I had to keep everyone else in my life at arm’s length. Trusting anyone with my identity had always been too dangerous. Yet now, here I was, two weeks away from the day Lori and I would promise to share everything. How could I promise her honesty when I was hiding such a huge part of who I was?
I fell asleep that night, my mind caught in a web of doubt and fear, flipping between the choice of telling her the truth or keeping her in the dark forever. I tossed and turned until a vivid dream jolted me awake at 2:11 a.m. I sat up, the memory of the dream still lingering, haunting me. In the dream, Lori had discovered my secret by accident, and the betrayal in her eyes was worse than any villain’s blow.
The thought gripped me—what if, one day, she found out on her own? I had to tell her. She deserved to know who she was marrying.
My heart pounded like I’d just come back from a fight. I got out of bed and went to the kitchen for a glass of water, hoping the cool liquid might help me think straight. I knew the risks of telling her, but the risk of not telling her felt even greater. Could our love survive this lie?
As I walked back toward the bedroom, I paused, sinking into the couch instead. The cushions welcomed me like a cloud, but my mind raced on. I flicked on the TV to distract myself, laughing softly at a show I barely registered. Eventually, exhaustion overtook me, and I drifted back to sleep.
The next morning, I woke to the smell of chocolate chip pancakes. Lori was humming in the kitchen, her hair still a little messy from sleep. She smiled when she saw me, her eyes bright with the joy I’d grown to cherish.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” she teased. “I made your favorite.”
I walked over and hugged her, breathing in her warmth, grounding myself. This was it.
“Lori, I need to talk to you about something important,” I said, my voice more serious than I intended.
She looked up at me, sensing the weight of my words. “Of course. What’s going on?”
I led her to the couch, and we sat down. I took a deep breath, feeling my heart race. “Lori, there’s a part of my life I’ve never shared with you. I kept it hidden to protect you, but…I can’t keep it from you any longer.”
Her brow furrowed, worry creeping into her expression. “What are you saying?”
I closed my eyes for a second, gathering my courage. “Lori… I’m a superhero.”
For a moment, she just stared at me, as though she were waiting for me to say it was a joke. But when she saw the seriousness in my eyes, she realized I was telling the truth.
Her hand tightened on mine. “So, every time you said you were working late…”
I nodded. “I was out fighting crime with my brother. We’ve saved so many lives, but I never wanted this life to touch you. I didn’t want you to worry about me every time I walked out the door.”
She was silent, processing everything. I could see the conflict in her eyes—fear, surprise, and something else. “Why tell me now?”
“Because I love you,” I said softly. “And if we’re going to spend our lives together, I want you to know everything. I can’t promise it will be easy, but I’ll do everything I can to protect you. You deserve the truth, no matter how risky it feels to me.”
For a long moment, Lori just looked at me, her eyes searching my face. Then, to my surprise, she smiled, a small, brave smile that made my heart swell.
“You don’t have to protect me from who you are,” she said, her voice steady. “I love you. All of you.”
Relief flooded through me. She accepted me, secrets and all. As we held each other, I knew that, for the first time, I could face the future without hiding. And with Lori by my side, I was stronger than ever.