I had spent so long calculating what I might lose that I had forgotten what love sounded like when it wasn’t bargaining.

The social worker, Elena Ruiz, helped me make a safety plan.

She asked where I could stay after discharge, who had keys to my home, and whether I had access to my identification, phone, and money.

I confessed that Colton monitored our joint accounts and that I had stopped using my own card because every purchase led to questions.

“We can work through this one piece at a time,” she said.

“You don’t have to decide everything today.”