Perhaps she would have continued taking another road whenever the opportunity arose. Perhaps the location would have remained an uncomfortable part of her personal history, something she avoided thinking about whenever possible.
She could not know.
She also did not believe that the visit had magically solved everything.
There were still difficult memories. There were still moments when the past returned unexpectedly. There were still days when she felt less confident than she had hoped to become.
Life did not suddenly become free of uncertainty.
But the visit had given her something valuable: a new experience that existed alongside the old one.
She had learned that she could approach a difficult place at her own pace.
She could remain for a while, notice what she felt, and leave when she was ready.
She could recognize fear without allowing it to become the only voice in the conversation.
And she could discover meaning in an unexpected detail.
