Later that week I checked my accounts as usual.

The routine transfers were still canceled.

The business repayment plan remained in place.

My roof was repaired, my bills were manageable, and Ruth and I were planning another small trip.

There was nothing triumphant about these facts, no sudden fortune or dramatic punishment.

They were simply evidence that I had begun taking care of the life Thomas and I built, instead of spending it all to keep somebody else comfortable.

Daniel and I still disagreed sometimes.