PART 2 — Two Versions of the Same Paper

I called Sophia before I called my father again.

She had helped me with property matters before and had the sort of calm I needed: not soothing for the sake of it, but careful enough to distinguish what could be known from what I wanted to believe.

“I need you to look at a deed,” I said.

“For work?”

“For my house.”

She heard something in my voice and stopped asking routine questions.