A year later, my life had finally quieted down.
I moved into a new place with my daughter.
The place wasn't large, but it was comfortable.
The living room was padded with soft cushions. She loved sitting on them to play, looking up at me as she did.
By the window sat my computer and documents. Sometimes during meetings, she would sit beside me clutching her stuffed toy, watching me quietly.
This wasn't how I'd imagined my marriage would end.
But it felt more like life than anything I had imagined.
I still went for regular checkups.
Occasionally, when a coughing fit came on, my body would still tense instinctively.
Sometimes after working too long, I would still feel a faint, dragging ache in my lower abdomen.
But I no longer felt embarrassed by any of it.
I knew what it was.
It
