Chapter 49 : A Knock on the Door

*Lily*

I woke up this morning thinking about how excited I was for this new chapter. It hadn't come without its challenges, but I was proud to say that I had also experienced significant growth.

I was constantly finding inspiration for my paintings in various settings, and it's incredible to see how far I've come. As a girl from Minnesota, it may have seemed unlikely that I would thrive in New York and pursue my dream of making it as a painter. However, despite the doubts of others–including my parents, who thought I couldn't make a living painting and urged me to focus on getting a "real" job–I was happy to see them slowly but surely coming around to my way of thinking.

At times, I find myself struggling with feelings of fear and uncertainty. I often question whether the current state of my life was too good to be true and whether I was truly deserving of the many blessings and benefits that come with it. It can be a difficult and unsettling feeling, but I try to remind myself