She had been my grandmother’s lawyer and then my lawyer and then, over seven years of Christmas cards and one very long lunch a year, something closer to a friend, and she was the only person I wanted in a room for this.

She listened for twenty minutes. She asked six questions. Then she wrote on a legal pad, tore off the page, and turned it around.

1. Neurology eval + neuropsych battery. Two providers, independent.

2. Petition for guardianship & conservatorship, Denver County. Emergency if needed.

3. Freeze/redirect accounts. Notify banks. Change mail.

4. Secure placement. Memory care, locked unit likely.