Chapter 20 - In the Black
Saturday evening arrived with the quiet, effortless grace of a life finally running in perfect alignment.
I stood in my kitchen, preparing a simple, elegant dinner for one—seared salmon, roasted asparagus, and a glass of crisp white wine. No imported silver candelabras, no demands from in-laws, no hidden debts waiting in the dark digital shadows.
As the food simmered on the stove, I walked over to the kitchen island, picked up my leather portfolio, and slid the final closure documents into the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet.
I locked the drawer with a small brass key, slipped the key onto my keyring, and listened to the satisfying click of the tumbler falling into place.
I poured my wine, stepped over to the living room window, and looked out at the streetlights flickering on along Elm Street.
My past had been audited, my accounts had been scrubbed, and my liabilities had been permanently written off. Every single line item in my life now belonged to me, accounted for, verified, and firmly in the black.
I raised my glass to the empty, beautiful, perfectly balanced room.
May you like
“To new beginnings,” I said softly to the quiet house.
And for the first time in my life, every single door ahead of me was wide open, and every key was safely in my own hand.
