This book is drawn from real events that marked my life in ways words can barely hold. While names, places, and certain details have been changed to protect privacy, the emotions, struggles, and hope within these pages are as real as the air I breathe.I have taken care to honor the truth, even when it was uncomfortable, and to fill in the silent spaces with memory and imagination when the record ran thin. My hope is that you see not just the pain in this story, but the resilience - the quiet, stubborn heartbeat that says I am still here.