The smile Alexandria gave Lucy was wry but not unkind. She shook her head with a dry chuckle and said,
"Not exactly." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "When I was almost six, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia."
It was a little strange to say it. She probably hadn't said the words aloud in years. But somehow, in the small, dim confines of this elevator, it felt strangely... right. As though in such a quiet, confined space, embedded in the core of an enormous building, such things could be spoken of more freely.
"It went on for a number of years. They were fairly certain I wasn't going to make it for most of that time, I think." That wry little smile came back. She looked at Lucy. "So yeah, my parents were overbearing for a long time. I actually ran away to the East Coast for college just to get away from them for a while."