Nobody was deciding whether my answers deserved to be heard.

I had wanted a morning without fear.

That evening, I realized I was beginning to have entire days.

PART 30: THE FLIGHT I FINALLY TOOK

Sixteen months after the night Lorraine opened my suitcase, I booked a real flight to Chicago.

The trip was for a hospitality conference, though I added two extra days to visit museums and walk beside the lake.

At the airport, I stood in the security line with a new carry-on.