My whole life, I’ve dreamed of having a little woodland creature friend. Human friends were always so confusing to me, so many unspoken rules of engagement that everyone seemed to know except me. No matter how much I tried to understand, begged for the rule book, no one would let me into the club. I sat outside, alone, most of my childhood. I watched the other kids run around and play together. I hoped and hoped that in my infinite loneliness that the animals I saw would instead accept me, non judgmental of my outcasted status.

As I grew up, I had assumed that making friends would get less confusing and naively believed it would get easier. I wish I hadn’t been wrong about that.

So while I still try to find those easeful relationships within the human world, at least I have finally made the woodland creature friend I dreamed of having.

Their name is Mirana, by the way.