From the start, it felt like everything was destined to fall apart. No matter how hard I tried to fix things between my brother and me, my efforts always failed because he kept turning me away.

Maya’s gentle voice broke through my thoughts. “This is not your fault. Every life is a story made of many threads. Life does not move in a straight line — its twists may hurt, but they can also lead us to new places.”

After that, we sat quietly, letting her words sink in. Her calm presence ...