In time, Maya stopped worrying so much about things she couldn’t control. She learned to trust her instincts, to take chances, and to accept help when it was offered. The day she rescued Juno and Ester marked a quiet turning point—not just in her own life, but in the small web of kindness that held her community together.
The storms still came, as storms always do. But Maya faced them differently now: with her boots by the door, a flashlight handy, and the knowledge that courage is sometimes nothing more than opening your door, even when you’re afraid.