I thought he was being protective.

Now I saw how many times I had confused his certainty for care.

David closed the binder.

“This material may be relevant.

We’ll verify its authenticity and decide what belongs in any court filing.

For now, preserve everything and let us communicate with the other side.”

I left his office feeling exhausted, but there was relief inside the exhaustion.

For the first time I didn’t have to defend my memories alone.