My parents exchange a look—one of those married couple glances that speaks volumes without a single word uttered. Neither of them has anything to say immediately, so I glance over at Declan, who smiles encouragingly, silently urging me to go on. My heart is starting to beat a little harder, but I straighten my shoulders, determined to be heard.

“I know this might seem unexpected,” I say, my voice steady now. “But I’ve actually been thinking about it for a while. Yoga is where my passion is. And I’m going to make it work. This isn’t just a dream—I’ve learned so much from Patricia, and I have so many ideas for how I would run my own studio.” I take a deep breath. “It won’t be easy, and it probably won’t pay as much as law,” I add with a little laugh. “But I already have full classes at Yoga Flow, and I know I could build a following at my own studio too.”

My dad chuckles, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows. “You know, a wise man once told me that I should think more about what you want for yourself than what I want for you. And that’s pretty damn good advice, because what I want the very most for you is to be happy.” He beams at me, and I can actually feel the pride radiating off him. “So if this makes you happy? I say go for it. We’ll have your back the whole way.”

“Of course we will. But I have to ask… why didn’t you say something sooner? It breaks my heart to know you were doing something you didn’t really want to be doing,” my mother says, taking one of my hands in hers to hold it tight against her chest.

A sob wells inside me, and although I’d normally try to fight it back, I let it out. No more secrets. No more hiding. My mother makes a little noise and wraps her arms around me, enveloping me in one of the biggest hugs she’s given me in years. It reminds me of when I was a kid, of all the times she would comfort me or Casey when we were scared or sad—and it makes me remember how close we used to be before we lost him.