“He has a passport," my classmates would whisper. "Quick, let's run before he judges us!”

“God is full of mercy for everyone, as He has been towards you. He is a father before He is a judge.”

“Pigmentation was a quick and convenient way of judging a person. One of us, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once proposed we instead judge people by the content of their character. He was shot.”

“Oh, it's okay," I say quickly, letting go of the figurine. "You can touch anything of mine you want." He freezes. A funny look runs across his face before I realize what I've said, I didn't mean it like that. Not that that would be so bad.”

“You're my lifeline," he whispers, and he kisses my knuckles before pressing my palm against his.”

“You," he whispered his eyes warm and fixated on me, "hold my heart captive."I nodded solemnly before murmuring my reply. "And I'll never let it go.”