This is a staggeringly good first story! A lovely pace and tone to it, and obviously a juicy hook for sequels… My only concern is the second sentence, it doesn’t read particularly well. But a quick edit to rephrase it and both technically and creatively this is gorgeous…
Nice set up. As I think of what those secrets could be, I’m amazed at how fast my mind goes to darker things. Now I’m challenged to write a happier story.