I’d enjoyed the thought of arriving in a way Daniel couldn’t dismiss.

Eight years before, he had underestimated me; now I held a position that required real responsibility and judgment.

The visible contrast had been satisfying for a moment.

But the helicopter could not make Daniel apologize.

My title could not turn Margaret into a grandmother overnight.

No government credential could make my children feel safe at dinner.

Those things depended on behavior after the spectacle ended.

I said as much to Lena.