fear.
From relief.
The kind that arrives when someone finally believes you.
When someone finally stands beside you.
When you no longer have to carry everything alone.
I sat quietly until she finished.
Then she looked at me.
“Mom?”
“Yes?”
“What if they’re right?”
I frowned.
“About what?”
“What if they’re too powerful?”
I thought about that question for a moment.
Then smiled.
Because I had learned something after decades of service.
Power isn’t measured by wealth.
Or connections.
Or reputation.
Real power is the ability to do the right
