Thomas pulled a chair out for me and opened the first binder.

“This is what matters most,” he said.

“Six months before he died, Walter underwent a complete cognitive evaluation.

Two hours with a geriatric specialist at Presbyterian.

Every score fell in the normal range.

He named the sitting president, counted down from one hundred by sevens, and recalled three objects after five minutes.”

He flipped pages while he talked.

The doctor’s letterhead sat sharp across the top of each sheet.