I never thought a birthday phone call could change everything.
But that night, it did.
My name is Delaney Brooks, and I had just turned twenty-nine.
I was sitting alone in a quiet corner booth at a small Italian restaurant on High Street in Columbus, Ohio. A single birthday candle flickered beside my plate, and the smell of garlic and fresh bread hung in the air. My work phone was finally off. My laptop was closed. For the first time in months, nobody at the table needed anything from me.
