Chapter 1: The Weight of Coming Home

The clock on the wall ticked too loudly for a room that was supposed to feel safe. Ezra sat with her fingers twisted in her lap, staring at the rug. The therapist didn't speak right away. She just waited, pen balanced between her fingers like she was measuring the weight of Ezra's silence.

Finally, she leaned forward.
"If Terry never came back," she said, voice steady but not unkind, "Would you still fight to become the person you're trying to be?"