The tree offered a fitting image for that process.
It had not grown overnight.
Its branches had developed gradually, season by season. Some years may have brought favorable conditions, while others may have presented challenges. Growth had occurred through a series of ordinary changes that were not always visible from one day to the next.
Elira thought about how easily people overlooked that kind of progress.
They often expected recovery to be marked by a single decisive moment, a dramatic turning point after which everything became easier.
But her experience had been different.
There had been no sudden disappearance of fear. There had been no moment when the accident stopped mattering. Instead, there had been a decision to drive toward the location, a pause inside the car, a few careful steps toward the fence, and a discovery she had not anticipated.
Then there had been another visit.
And another.
Each experience added something small to the larger picture.
