Julian advised against trying to provoke anyone into saying something.

We already had records; a theatrical confrontation might complicate matters.

Instead we gave the banking specialist the statements, the messages, and the agency’s written confirmation.

The specialist opened a formal dispute for the relevant transactions and explained the next steps.

That evening Maya asked to see the total.

She studied the numbers carefully.

“Fourteen thousand dollars,” she said.

“I was asking for soup, and they were eating dinner by the ocean.”
I reached for her hand, then paused to let her decide.