I locked the front door, checked that Tessa had a safe ride home, and walked into the cool air.

The streetlights reflected in rainwater along the curb.

The city was no less complicated than it had been two years earlier, but I no longer believed I needed someone powerful to rescue me from it.

I had friends, work, a voice, and enough room in my life to make my own decisions.

PART 25

The next spring, a young waiter in our training program froze when a customer began coughing violently during lunch.

He turned toward me with the same fearful expression I’d once worn when Dennis grabbed my arm.