The "emergence" embodied in this piece is multifaceted: a physical departure from inky shadow into shimmering light, as well as an internal blossoming of a guarded heart.

I met Maddie at AFH, a fellow newbie looking for someone to sit with during lunch break. She was incredibly shy, mumbling soft whispers with her eyes fixed fervently on the ground. But with time and warmth, she shed the confines of her chrysalis, drank in the crisp air, and began to soar.