Winter brought unexpected focus. With Thornwell increasingly handling administrative responsibilities and Aria deliberately stepping back from continental travel, she found herself with time she had not experienced since childhood. Time to think. Time to reflect. Time to simply be rather than constantly doing.
"You seem restless," Sorin observed one evening as Aria paced her study.
"I am adjusting to having time," Aria said. "For years, every moment has been scheduled. Every day filled with urgent responsibilities. Now I have hours with no obligations. It feels strange."
"What do you want to do with those hours?" Sorin asked.
"I want to write," Aria said. "Not just technical documentation. But a comprehensive account of what I have learned. About healing. About leadership. About building systems that serve people."
"A book," Sorin said.
