At the time, I didn’t question how things worked. I saw her effort, of course, but I saw it the way you see background noise—constant, dependable, easy to take for granted. My focus was forward. School, opportunities, ambition. I was building something, and I thought I was doing it on my own.
I did well. I chased every opportunity, climbed every step, and eventually built a life people admired. That became my story.
