my eyelashes

i heard that the most common questions to start a conversation are

1. where are you from?
2. what do you do?

but the question that i get asked most frequently is

1. are your eyelashes real?

yes. they are real. they are possibly one of the most precious features i have, a superficial part of me that i am not shameful to be proud of. when my boyfriend caresses them i feel like i am the dearest little thing in the universe.

yet i am afraid they are no longer as lovely as they once were.