CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETEEN – FIRST DAY AS A BOSS

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon when Joan Keppler pulled into the parking lot of the Lighthouse Counselling Centre. She sat in her car for a moment, taking deep breaths to calm her nerves. This was it - the first day of her own private practice. "You can do this, Joan," she whispered to herself, gripping the steering wheel. "It's just another day of helping people." As she stepped out of her car, she saw Zoe pulling in. Her friend and business partner waved enthusiastically. "Ready for the big day?" Zoe called out, practically bouncing with excitement. Joan managed a smile. "As ready as I'll ever be. Let's do this." They walked into the building together, the smell of fresh paint and new furniture greeting them. Joan flicked on the lights, illuminating the warm, inviting space they'd worked so hard to create. "It looks even better than I remembered," Zoe said, running her hand along the reception desk. Joan nodded. "It does. I just hope we can make it work." "We wil