The drive to Atlanta took longer than it should have, though maybe that was because I spent most of it thinking. Grady rode with me in every memory. Brandon rode with me in every regret. By the time the Atlanta skyline appeared in the distance, my shoulders ached from gripping the steering wheel too tightly. The city seemed to stretch forever, buildings rising from the horizon like they had no intention of ending. Traffic thickened with every mile. Cars squeezed into spaces that barely existed. Horns sounded from every direction. The faster the city moved around me, the more exhausted I felt. I wasn't arriving because I had landed some amazing opportunity. I wasn't starting an exciting new chapter. I was arriving because I had run out of places I was willing to go. There was a difference,
