With everything settled, I turned back to the work I loved.
The project at Harrington Materials Institute was going well—better than well. The research I was leading broke through in a significant way. Our team had developed a new eco-friendly composite that outperformed existing materials while costing far less to produce, and the industry took notice. Collaboration offers came in from multiple companies. Rebecca promoted me and put my name forward for the National Science Awards.
Standing at the podium to accept the award, I looked out at the audience—at my colleagues' faces, warm and proud—and thought of my mother. She would have been happy to see this. She would have been relieved.
I knew it was only a beginning. There was still so much ahead.
In whatever time I had outside the lab
