I wanted to pay everything, buy them a house, replace every pair of shoes Megan had worn thin.

Dana reminded me money was not an apology.

Megan could choose what kind of housing was safe and stable.

She could reject strings attached to assistance.

That afternoon I learned something else about my old divorce papers.

The investigator’s report and our settlement negotiations had been circulated to Walter through an email account that the firm had been told was authorized.

The documents weren’t evidence of a criminal conspiracy by themselves, but they gave the new lawyers a map of who had access to what and when.