"It's okay," Joaquin said, his voice full of reassurance. "You can tell me anything. I won't judge you."
Annabelle took a deep breath. "When I was in my first year of college," she began, "a group of my classmates were talking about going to see the northern lights for Christmas. They were going to go during the Christmas break, when everyone had the chance to go.
"Anyway," Annabelle continued, "they were planning the trip and I really wanted to go with them. I thought it would be an amazing experience to see the northern lights, and to spend Christmas with friends. But then, something happened."
Joaquin sat up a little straighter, clearly intrigued by the story. "What happened?" he asked.
"Well, I realized that I couldn't go," Annabelle said, her voice dropping. "Even though I have always dreamed of seeing the northern lights."
"Really?" Joaquin asked.
