(Karen’s POV – Present Tense)

Peace has a sound.

It hums quietly in the corners of your life, like a soft tune you forget you’re humming.

For weeks, that’s been my rhythm — wake up, breathe, build something small that doesn’t demand more than it gives.

I thought peace meant safety.

But now I realize it only means the storm is thinking.

It starts small.

A call from the legal aid office — a new client, urgent, unusual circumstances.

When I arrive, the air in the waiting room ...