Swallowing hard, Ele focused on cutting her chicken into small pieces as she thought of her next words. She could very easily change the topic, but it seemed like an appropriate time to say her next words,

"My mom drank and smoked while she was pregnant with me, so I was born premature and tiny. All my life I struggled to be above malnourished, but that wasn't just because of my low birthweight. In medical terms it would be 'exogenous failure to thrive' or neglect but in nicer terms."