Living under someone's shadow

Previously

…She picked up a charcoal pencil, its cool weight grounding her. Her hand trembled, but this time, it was not just fear. It was anticipation. She brought the pencil to the paper, a tentative, wavering line. It was imperfect, unsure. But it was hers. And in that moment, in the quiet hum of the afternoon, Eleanor Vance took her first, tentative breath of her own life. The shadow hadn't vanished, not by a long shot, but for the first time, she could feel the faint warmth of her own light beginning to bloom.