This book is more than poetry-it's a journey of breath, of survival, of return. I wrote it in the quiet hours, when the children were asleep and the ache still whispered in my bones. Every poem is a footstep toward the woman I am still becoming. If these words found you, I hope they brought a mirror and a match: a reflection of your own strength, and the spark to keep going. Thank you for standing with me. With hope, L. C. Salter