Samuel sat in the gallery above like a king surveying his court. His gaze swept across the room, rested briefly on me. He nodded, almost imperceptibly, but enough to send a jolt through my chest.

Just moments earlier, I had felt as though I'd been plunged into the abyss. Now, the rush of exhilaration was like a rebirth.

I couldn’t stop the smile that broke through, a quiet, grateful thing directed across the expanse, inconspicuous to all but ...