“Hey, it’s me,” I said, my voice steady. “I’m ready to come back early if there’s an opening.”

As we discussed logistics, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. The future was uncertain, but for the first time in a long time, it was mine.

I hung up and took one last look at Everly & Co., the scene inside still unfolding.

Then I turned and walked toward a future that was finally mine to shape—no longer shadowed by someone else’s dreams.