Completely.
Without conditions.
That evening, I opened every window wide.
I made peppermint tea.
I placed a second cup across from mine.
And for the first time in years, I counted nothing.
Not bills.
Not debts.
Not who believed my story.
I simply breathed.
Outside, rain tapped gently against the glass.
I rested my hand over my belly and made a promise.
My child would grow up in a home built on warmth, honesty, and love that never had to defend itself to exist.
