“I won’t take your savings, Lauren, but we’re through,” I said.

She started to explain how Frank had threatened her loan terms, pushing the blame onto his office manager, but I turned and went down the stairs before she could get to the end of the sentence.

I drove back downtown under a clear autumn sky and stopped at the First Federal drive-through window to pick up my new debit card from the teller.

The teller sent the paper envelope out through the sliding tray and confirmed that the sixty-dollar wire transfer fee had been put back in my checking account.