And there, amidst lights, applause and raised glasses, the night ended in which I confirmed that I was not going back to any place I had learned to leave.
The murmur of the room gradually died away, like a tide that recedes after it has covered everything. The lights were still on, elegant, but no longer had the same prominence. The ceremony was over. The applause, the formal smiles, the toasts... Everything was left behind, suspended in a memory that still vibrated in my chest.
Alexander walked beside me, talking about practical details: future meetings, tentative dates, schedule adjustments. I nodded, truly listening, but a part of me was still processing what had happened just minutes before. The award, my name called out in front of everyone. My story summarized in a short but honest
