The silence was overwhelming.
No shouting.
No broken dishes.
No drunken arguments.
No slammed doors.
My nervous system did not know what to do with peace.
I started therapy.
Some sessions ended with tears.
Others ended with exhaustion.
Healing was not beautiful.
Healing was grocery shopping without panic.
Healing was sleeping through the night.
Healing was learning that calm did not mean danger was approaching.
I found a position as an administrative coordinator for a medical supply company.
The salary was modest.
The office was ordinary.
I loved it.
For the first time in years, my life belonged to me.
I bought yellow curtains for the apartment.
I filled bookshelves with novels I had always wanted to read.
