In fact, Christian's words came as a bit of a surprise.
His voice, usually calm and restrained, took on a particularly serious tone at that moment, which made what he said seem even more significant than it would have been in a normal conversation. There was an unexpected sincerity in it, or perhaps anxiety, barely noticeable but palpable.
I even lost my train of thought for a second and stared at his face, as if trying to read the hidden meaning behind every line of his face. It seemed as if he was about to say something much more than just words — as if these words were part of something unspoken that he kept inside himself.
And yet, I could understand him. After all, from the outside, everything looked exactly as he said. For today's society, my situation was indeed unusual, if not rare. Too many circumstances came together to cause condemnation or bewilderment.
