Then Travis spoke slowly and thoughtfully. “The past—anyone’s past—is important only in that it shaped the present. Can you accept that I need to know about your past in order to understand your present?” “I certainly can. I just can’t accept the necessity of seeing my past in print.” “It doesn’t have to be seen in print. As long as I understand what’s gone before, I can put the present into perspective.” “No. Not my present.” “Because without your past, there isn’t a present?” She smiled slightly and gently shook her head. “Travis, try to understand how I feel about this. Certain … events in my life over which I had little or no control shaped me into who and what I am. We could get into a long discussion over the importance of pasts, but right now, in this moment of my present, I’m very tired. And my past doesn’t seem important to me, much less to the world.” “You avoided answering my question,” he said softly. She sighed. “I suppose I did.
