Stories That Heal

PROLOGUE The Tree of Life Aurora Nova sat in the small, quiet therapy room, the faint scent of lavender mingling with the warmth of the late afternoon sun streaming through the window. She was 21 years old, and this was her third session with Brian, her therapist. The first two sessions had been a cautious dance around her past, but today was different. Brian leaned forward with a gentle yet firm expression. “I want you to close your eyes,” he said. “Take a deep breath and go back. I want you to find your youngest self, as far back as you can remember. Where is

At 12, it all changed. It was the age when Aurora Nova’s heart was broken, not in the way that childhood crushes might fracture a young heart, but in a way that reshaped her entirely. It was when the boundary between safety and betrayal was crossed, and the hands meant to protect her became the ones she feared most. That was the moment Aurora Nova’s soul found refuge elsewhere. It left the body of a little girl who no longer felt safe in her own skin, retreating to a place beyond reach—a quiet, invisible corner where it could hide from the unbearable weight of trespasses

CHAPTER 3 A Mother’s Journey Aurora’s mother, the ninth daughter of ten surviving children, was a woman who defied all expectations. Born into the simplicity and safety of the family farm in South America, she could have stayed. It would have been easier, predictable, comfortable even. But that wasn’t her path. At just 16 years old, she made the decision to step beyond the boundaries of her childhood and venture into a new world. Aurora’s arrival into her mother’s life was anything but simple. She was born with a congenital disorder that demanded constant care, countless hospital visits, and multiple surgeries in her earliest years.

CHAPTER 4 Shadows of the Past By the time Aurora Nova started seeking help from Brian at 21, the years between 16 and 21 had already left their mark on her. Those years were filled with the echoes of her past, shadows that followed her as she tried to build a life away from home. Aurora entered college at 16, the youngest in her class and far from the safety of what she once knew. The excitement of being accepted to college—the first in her family—quickly gave way to a sense of isolation. At such a young age, surrounded by older peers, she felt vulnerable,