I didn’t know what decision the agency would make.

I didn’t even know whether the money, if any was awarded, would arrive while I still needed it.

But completing the application forced me to acknowledge that the legal victory had not repaired every practical consequence of those years.

Opal found me at the dining room table after midnight, reviewing the final pages.

“Will it help?” she asked.

“I think so.

Maybe not the way I expected.”