Leah arrived one afternoon with a list of short-term work opportunities.

Clara read them reluctantly.

She had been employed steadily since she was sixteen; applying for temporary help felt like admitting a failure that was not hers.

“Your work did not disappear because someone made an accusation,” Leah said.

“What happened to you says nothing about your ability.”

Clara accepted several afternoons sorting donations at a library.

The librarian asked her to organize picture books and repair loose covers.

She was good at the quiet, patient tasks that allowed neglected things to be useful again.