I thought long and hard about which story to start this column with, and decided to begin with my novella Two Phoenixes. This novella holds special meaning for me, as it recounts momentous historical events that suddenly and dramatically changed not only the direction of my son’s and my life, but the very course itself. I wrote the first chapter of this novella on the eve of 2024, capturing my emotions exactly as I felt them at the time — without attempting to embellish the events or smooth over the rough edges. The novella comprises 13 chapters. So, voilà!