It started with a text — a Zillow listing of a house I hadn’t seen in decades.
 But one glance, and I was transported back.

In this deeply personal episode, I return to 633 Forest Avenue — the yellow house in Wilmette, Illinois, where I lived as a twelve-year-old girl trying to outrun chaos. It was there, in the quiet corners of a stranger’s home, that I discovered safety, stillness, and the first glimmer of who I might become.

This is a story about the power of place, the quiet people who shape us, and the memories that linger long after the walls have been painted over.

Some homes give you shelter. Others give you your voice.

Look for this and other stories at Medium.com @Nefertitithomas1

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