nd of distant conversations filled the air. The sun shone brightly, casting long shadows across the street, but Kendra felt the weight of the world pres

she said the right things? Was she convincing enough? There were moments when she felt like she had over-shared, b

tions. Nothing new on the job front, but there was a message from Harper. Kendra'

ut don't forget to breathe. You're amazing, and they'd be lucky to hav

er's encouragement had been a beacon of light in Kendra's life. It wasn't just about the job or the new life she was trying to

ks, Harper. I really needed that.

ed toward the coffee shop, the familiar chime of the bell above the door welcoming her inside. It was a

iled as Kendra approached. "Good

meeting the barista's eyes. "A cap

ista replied, preparing th

ried to bury them. Lucas, her ex-husband, had been the one who had promised her stability, the one who had convinced her tha

deep down, she had known. She had known that the love that had once existed between them was nothing but a facade. She had known that her marriage was built on expectations, not a

e trapped in that gilded cage, living a life that wasn't truly hers. She had sacrificed so much

the warmth seep into her fingers as she stared out at the world. The city was full of life, but she had always felt like an outsider, watching fr

the shadows, done with the false pretenses. She had learned to stand on her own two feet, and though the p

the sky had deepened into shades of purple and orange. The park was quiet, with only a few joggers passing by. Kendra

e remembered standing in front of the mirror that day, seeing a woman she no longer recognized-someone who had given everything for

he realized something-she had gained so much more in return. She had found a strength within herself that she ne

. He was tall, with dark hair and an aura of confidence. He looked vaguely familiar, but

ked, gesturing to the

for a moment, the

attentive. They were silent for a m

said after a pause. "But you

turned to look at him more clo

ame's Noah. We met a few months ago, at an event with mutual frien

as a friend of Harper's, someone she had briefly met at a dinner party. H

ra said, offering a polite smil

been keeping up with your journey, Kendra. I admire the str

him to understand, to see the pain she had endured. "It wasn't easy," she adm

to that. Sometimes it takes losing everything to tru

ing the space between them. Kendra felt an unfamiliar sense of connection with Noa

lence. "And I think we should talk more. Maybe you'

lead, but for the first time in a long while, she didn't feel the need to guard herself. Perhaps, just perhaps, this

wasn't as uncertain as it once seemed. It was filled with e