Lena Morgan started working at Martha’s Diner.
PART 2 — THE LIFE I SECRETLY BUILT
The restaurant was small and run-down, with cracked booths and a menu that hadn’t changed in decades. But the coffee was strong, the customers were friendly, and no one treated me with disdain.
I served drinks, carried plates, cleaned tables, and little by little I remembered what it felt like to be respected for my work.
At night, I would sit on Aunt May’s porch and watch the sun sink into the ocean. Gradually, my shoulders
