I was now free to do as I wished, able to paint as I liked, even build my own studio. I was able to focus on the art that had become my saviour and liberation, and the manifestation of the freedom I had always so desired. Leo was not there to put that soup ladle in my hand, nor stop me selling my works and forging my own identity through my success.

I did not need to travel to be free, although my adventures did not stop. I was more in demand than ever, accepting commissions and projects around the world. Tasked with representing foreign communities through art, I started to paint domestic scenes in Lithuania, prominent faces in Oman, and artistic communities in Israel. My paintings were displayed in galleries from Miami to Vilnius, and I came to be known for representing international scenes and the stories that built them. I had never been more fulfilled.

I finally had the ability to live my own life, as I wanted. I was able to be Naomi. Stronger, and ready for any adventure my freedom led me to.