I had always feared what people would say about me if I left.

Now they were saying it, and I was still standing.

Elaine helped me document the messages and asked what contact boundaries I wanted.

I decided that Dennis and his relatives could communicate through counsel while the separation proceeded.

That afternoon, the nonprofit invited me to interview.

I practiced answers in front of the hotel mirror, wearing a borrowed blazer Lena had brought.

The irony wasn’t lost on me: I could calmly explain why a line item was inconsistent, but I had to rehearse how to say I deserved to be hired.