She could approach the place in her own way.
That thought gave her a little more room to breathe.
Elira leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes briefly. She noticed the tension in her shoulders and deliberately allowed them to relax.
Then she took a slow breath.
And another.
She reminded herself that she had come here voluntarily.
She was not being forced to prove anything.
If the experience became too difficult, she could leave without considering the visit a failure. If she managed only a few minutes outside the car, those minutes would still count as an experience she had once believed impossible.
The important thing was not how long she stayed.
It was that she had arrived.
Eventually, she reached for the door handle.
Her fingers paused around it, and she felt the old hesitation rise again. For a brief moment, the familiar impulse to retreat seemed stronger than her desire to continue.
