“Those sound like useful beginnings.”

Iris returned to work more regularly.

Michelle assigned her to a project reviewing vendor-payment procedures after a routine audit had exposed discrepancies unrelated to Garrett.

Iris found she liked the work.

She also noticed that when a colleague disagreed with her analysis, she instinctively prepared to apologize before he finished speaking.

“You don’t have to apologize,” the colleague said one morning.

“I just think the dates don’t match.”