One evening, Serena sat on her porch with a cup of tea, watching the sunset over Oakhaven Ridge. The neighborhood was quiet, the joggers were gone, and the only sound was the rustle of the leaves in the ancient oak trees that lined the street.
She thought about the woman she had been on that cold morning with the bandage under her blouse, and she felt a surge of gratitude for her own strength. She had lost a husband and a family, but she had gained herself, and that was a trade she would make every single time.
THE END.