I stared at Ellen’s hands. Both hands looked like someone extinguished cigarettes on her skin. Nicole wasn’t a smoker for sure (not that I would have expected Nicole to have done such a horrendous thing even if she was a smoker as Nicole is as soft as anything).
“what has happened to you? you look as if someone burnt you with cigarettes.”
“I was just to the dermatologist” she started and I was relieved. She just went to a doctor which sounded like the typical thing Ellen would do.
“to have the warts removed” she continued. I hadn’t noticed any warts on her hands before but again going to a doctor sounds exactly like something that Ellen would do.
“but you weren’t the first to say that” Ellen added “my colleague also approached me and offered me help in case I want to leave my abusive husband.”
“Ah”, I said.
“I then came out to her by mentioning that I have a girlfriend after explaining that my dermatologist was responsible for those marks. My colleague’s jaw dropped and she looked at me in astonishment. She is certainly no homophobe after all she offered me help if I wanted to leave my abusive girlfriend. – Though I wonder why didn’t she hear anything except my coming out?”
