Five years later, on a cold morning in December, Emma stood in front of a classroom full of social work students at Columbia University.
She had been invited to speak about trauma informed advocacy. About building sustainable movements. About the personal cost of changing systems.
The students looked young to Emma. Some probably not much older than she had been when she left Jake. Some probably already carrying their own traumas. All of them choosing to dedicate their lives to helping others heal.
"I want to start by telling you something that nobody told me when I was your age," Emma began. "Helping people heal from trauma is some of the most important work you can do. But it will also try to destroy you if you let it."
The classroom was completely quiet.
