Fresh air came in, and I stood there smiling at the simplest privilege in the world.

I wasn’t trying to punish Daniel by living well.

I was honoring a promise I’d almost forgotten making to myself: that whatever happened to me, I would keep seeking a life with dignity in it.

PART 22: A Different Kind of Family Dinner

A year after I left Daniel’s house, we met for lunch at a public café near my apartment.

The meeting was my decision.