And then I realized that it was fear -- fear that no-one would ever truly understand me and love every part of me. The only relationships I'd ever known felt like bargaining and settling: bargaining for space to be free, settling for a partner who didn't wonder what I was up to. I wanted someone to see all of me, the good and the bad. I was in such a rush to prove that I'd come out of childhood unscathed, in order to prevent causing others any worry and concern, that I'd forgotten to examine whether I truly had.

— We Have Always Been Here by Samra Habib (Page 145)