He clapped when I finished, though it may have been because he saw a banana on the counter.

I decided to accept the applause anyway.

For months, I had measured progress by what I had recovered from powerful men: records, financial support, freedom from threats.

Now I began measuring it by things I had built: steady work, a routine, friendships that survived difficult days, and a home where my son could reach for me without wondering whether I would answer.

Those were accomplishments nobody could transfer through a shell company or take back with a legal threat.