It was an ordinary dinner.

I ate it slowly, watching the rain tap against the window.

The next day I called the nonprofit about the job opening and asked whether someone with a long employment gap would be considered.

The coordinator listened to my background and said, “Please apply.

We care about what you can do now.”

I spent the afternoon building a résumé.

Under professional experience, I listed my earlier economic analysis work, volunteer financial oversight, household and charitable budgeting, and recent continuing-education courses.

I didn’t pretend that managing Dennis’s life was a corporate appointment.