Held Gabriel accountable without pretending he stopped being human.

And finally understood that there is a difference between refusing revenge and refusing to defend yourself.

I had confused those for far too long.

Now I know.

You can walk away from hatred without walking away from your rights.

You can forgive without restoring access.

You can love a child without owning their feelings about another parent.

You can be exhausted and still say:

Not today.

And sometimes those two words are the beginning of getting your life back.