PART 13: The House Was Never the Prize

I found a modest one-bedroom apartment in a building near a public library and a park with benches beneath old sycamore trees.

The hallway smelled faintly of lemon cleaner.

There was an elevator, a balcony just big enough for two chairs, and a manager who gave me time to read the lease without rushing me.

At first, I hesitated over the rent.

After months of sending Daniel money, my budget felt like a puzzle with missing pieces.