Her receptionist offered me an appointment later in the week, but when I mentioned the locked cards and Hazel, Lauren called back personally.

She did not ask whether Brandon was a bad man.

She asked what access I had to food, medicine, transportation, identification, and an independent account.

I had answers for some of those questions and no comfortable answers for the others.

By the time we hung up, I understood that regaining control of my father’s money would solve only one part of the problem.

The harder work would be learning to make choices without waiting for my husband’s permission.