I answered truthfully: I didn’t know.

I explained that an audit could protect the business by showing lenders what was real, but that nobody had authority to guarantee the outcome yet.

He studied me.

“You could have just walked away.”

“I almost did.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Because I remembered who would still be here after my family finished arguing.”

As we left, Ruth pointed to a production board covered in colored magnets.