So much of recovery was not about learning entirely new things.

It was about making room for the knowledge Chloe had once carried with confidence.

The legal proceedings continued, and sometimes headlines appeared online despite our refusal to speak with reporters.

People at the grocery store recognized me.

One stranger stopped me in the parking lot to announce what sentence he thought Garrett deserved.

I thanked him for his concern and kept walking.

I did not want strangers turning Chloe’s life into entertainment.