A deep, unbothered, uneventful peace.

I was not thriving at Solomon.

I was thriving, plainly, in a life with no lie running underneath it any longer.

I continued my career.

I had quiet dinners with my father.

I laughed with Theo about how many bedtime stories we could squeeze into a single night.

I did not rush to date, and I did not post curated photographs of my fabulous new independence to prove to anyone that I was fine.

I did not need to prove it.