I had asked who I was supposed to trust.

Six weeks later, I understood the question differently.

Trust did not mean handing someone control.

I trusted Vivian because she told me when evidence was insufficient.

I trusted Claire because she saved a scrap of paper without turning it into a theory.

I trusted Mara because she preserved records and admitted what she could not verify.

I trusted Noah because he could offer help and accept no.

Most importantly, I had begun trusting myself because I no longer needed every decision validated by somebody else’s idea of what reasonable people do.