Then he asked whether I could remind Gertrude how to arrange her medications because the instructions were “confusing.”

I stared at that last message for a long time.

For three years I had handled so many small tasks that the household now treated my absence like an emergency.

But the pharmacy had instructions.

Gertrude’s physician’s office could help.

Kenneth was capable of reading a label and arranging transport.

I replied with the clinic’s phone number and stopped there.

Later, I met Mr.