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Chapter 25: Becoming
Daisy — Finding Her Voice
The clinic challenged everything Daisy thought she knew. One child, silent for weeks, finally looked her in the eye and said, "I don't like being afraid."
That night, Daisy cried in the shower—not out of sadness, but out of release. She was healing others. And, quietly, herself.
Later, she typed a message to Calvin:
> I told someone today it's okay to be scared. I think I finally meant it—for me too.
He replied:
> Then I'm proud of both of us.
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Calvin — Leading With Heart
Calvin gave his first solo presentation in Berlin. Nerves twisted in his stomach until he remembered Daisy's words:
> You don't have to be loud to be heard.
He spoke slowly. Honestly. Afterward, his professor clapped him on the shoulder. "You have presence, Calvin. Rare kind."
Later, in the quiet of his room, he wrote to Daisy:
> I didn't stumble. I didn't disappear. You were right—I was always enough.
She replied:
> You still are. And you're still mine.
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Marcus & Lina — Steady Flame
Lina got an art piece accepted into a gallery. Marcus bought a tie to match her dress, even though he hated ties.
At the opening, she whispered, "What if this is what forever feels like? Not loud. Just… soft and real."
Marcus kissed her knuckles. "Then I'm already home."
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