I did not date for years.
People assumed it was fear.
Partly.
But mostly, I was learning the sound of my own life without Daniel’s opinions covering it.
I learned what music I liked when no one mocked it.
What food I cooked when no one complained.
What mornings felt like without being measured.
I painted the guest room green.
I turned Daniel’s office into a reading room.
I hosted memorial dinners for my mother where people told funny stories instead of whispering around grief.
I also cried randomly in grocery stores.
Healing is not graceful.
Michael checked the title every month.
Then every quarter.
Then yearly.
He never stopped entirely.
Neither did I.
Alicia helped me set up legal protections.
Trust.
Beneficiaries.
Fraud alerts.
Emergency contact.
The house would never again depend on a husband’s goodwill.
