Heart

People said she wore her heart on her sleeve. In fact, it beat just beneath the thin skin on the inside of her wrist. She was a modest girl, and it would not have occurred to her to turn this peculiarity to her own advantage. Yet she made no secret of the matter, and when asked, she would roll up her sleeve to let the curious see for themselves.

Of course, something so tender and exposed could easily be wounded. In time, the girl learnt to keep her mouth shut and her cuffs buttoned. Her heart hardened slowly, like a pearl.