After that day, something slowly began to change in me. It wasn't sudden, and no one else noticed it, but I could feel it myself.
I started going to school without fear. I still felt nervous sometimes, but I no longer wanted to run back home. I began listening more in class and trying to understand instead of staying silent.
Some days were good, some were not. There were moments when I felt proud, and moments when I felt small again. But I learned that both were part of growing up.
At home, life continued in its simple way. My mother's voice calling me for food, my father returning tired from work, and the quiet evenings we spent together — all of it felt warm.
I didn't realize it then, but those ordinary days were shaping me. Slowly, without noise, I was becoming stronger inside.