Between My Heart and Obligation tells the story of Lavendal, a woman shaped by emotional hardship, invisible labor, and the lessons that come from doing what felt like the right thing, even when it came at a personal cost.

The book didn’t begin with a plan, it began with reflection, on childhood, on the roles she stepped into without question, and on the slow unraveling that happens when someone starts asking who they are beneath all that responsibility. Lavendal didn’t set out to write a guide, she set out to tell the truth.

What unfolded was a story about identity, grief, and the slow, often painful process of becoming. Not in a sweeping, cinematic way, but in the small moments. The ones where she chose to stay, or leave, or speak, or stay silent. The ones that shaped her, even when no one else saw them.

Between My Heart and Obligation is for anyone who’s ever felt the tension between duty and your heart, between being needed and needing something more. It’s not about abandoning what matters, it’s about honoring yourself within it.