I hesitate. Tell him? Or no? I want to believe that he won't judge me, I really do. But... can I trust him? Then a thought comes to me. I said I forgave him. Forgive, by dictionary definition, means 'to stop feeling angry or resentful for an offense' or in this case, to let go of the past. It's not forgiveness if I don't let go. It's just another lie. So I look at Sam like I did when we first met - total strangers, neither of us with a thing against another. And I know now that I will never keep another secret or tell another lie to him again. "I... I started having shifts, I think," I say slowly, then shoot into defensive mode before he can say anything. "I did research, I promise! I had some dysphoria - species dysphoria, am I right? Like, I looked at myself in the mirror and I felt so wrong in my body?" Sam nods, his gaze holding mine. I search them for any sign of disbelief but find nothing. So I continue. "I tried to trigger a mirror shift the other night and instead I got a mental shifts, of some kind of bird. I did a lot of research - I made sure, I swear - and I found out that I have awakened as a therian, and my Theriotype is a barn owl last night." I chuckle, half-hysterically. "Pure coincidence, I know. If you don't believe me, I get it, I'll shut it, but -" Sam gives me a look, and I fall silent.
