What grew between us was not the instant closeness of fiction.

It was trust in small portions: a call returned, a boundary honored, a promise kept, an ordinary question answered without defensiveness.

Some weeks we made progress.

Other weeks the past seemed to sit between us like another person at the table.

I learned to remain present anyway.

PART 25: The Gold Medals

Two years after the competition, Chloe and Sophie invited me to a small celebration for the students in Marianne’s program.

The event took place in a community center, not a banquet hall, and the decorations consisted of paper stars made by younger children.