If this were a full-on Hollywood fairy tale, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords would return to Congress full time, sweep to re-election in November, or even run for the Senate.
But this is real life, and Giffords has decided it's best for her and her constituents that she resign this week.
The Arizona congresswoman's final acts in office are altogether fitting.
Monday, she finished her "Congress on Your Corner" event in Tucson, where she was nearly killed a year ago. She met privately with survivors of the attack that left six people dead and 13 others wounded.
Tonight, she will attend President Barack Obama's State of the Union address, where she will be one of the few unifying figures in a Congress that desperately needs more common purpose. "We can do so much more by working together" on issues such as jobs, veterans and border security, she says in the video announcing her decision.
Giffords, 41, was lucky to survive the bullet that passed through her brain. But her own strength and determination – and the support of loved ones, especially her husband, Mark Kelly – produced her remarkable, yet unfinished recovery.
"I'm getting better every day," she says in the video. "My spirit is high."
Some of her supporters are surely disappointed by her decision. Though she may return to public life, there is some sense of unfulfilled potential.
Gabrielle Giffords has done plenty for her country. Her grit and grace have inspired Americans, and people around the world. Let her focus on herself, and on healing.
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