Outside, the evening air was cool against my flushed skin. I breathed deeply, filling my lungs with the crisp night air. It was time to start anew, to find joy and fulfillment on my own terms. I knew it wouldn’t be easy—there would be difficult conversations, perhaps even painful endings—but it was necessary.

The drive home was a blur, my mind racing with possibilities. I didn’t know exactly what the future held, but I knew it would be mine to shape. Maybe it was time to focus on myself, to reconnect with the passions I had put on hold for too long. Maybe it was time to surround myself with people who appreciated who I truly was.