This past Wednesday, May 14th, I was supposed to attend the ADC 104th Annual Awards—a celebratory evening where I was to receive a Bronze Cube for my work for Mother Jones, mingle, take pictures and feel like a queen.

Instead, I stayed home with my kiddo. It was a rainy day, so we watched Inside Out 2 and played. Before bed, her and I went for a walk in the park to splash through puddles and get some fresh air. It was empty, all ours. We swung on the wet swings and laughed. I watched the leaves dance in the wind.

Before we left the park, Yuna hugged me tightly—completely out of the blue. Time stopped. I didn’t feel like a queen, but every part of me felt present in that moment and loved.

I didn’t need a crown—my heart was full, and exactly where it needed to be.