I am Ramses Contreras and this is my coming of age story. After a decade, I am finally able to share it with you. This is a sad story and a happy one too. In it, I share the complexity of young pain and what it was like to be a teenager in 2014.

2014 Ramses had a lot he didn't know and a lot he couldn't understand. Current Ramses, me, has had the time and space to witness him in his entirety. I've held him, loved him, and promised him with certainty that he is okay. I invite you to love him and witness him as I have. Together, we can shift the narrative that allowed this pain.