I should have asked more questions.”

“You are asking them now.”

“It’s late.”

“Yes,” I said.

“But late is different from never.”

We spent the afternoon sorting receipts into two piles: confirmed services and items needing investigation.

I learned that she worked with people navigating unfamiliar systems, and that she had built her little company after watching her mother struggle to find home care.

By the time she left, I didn’t consider Joanna a friend.