The financial litigation remained unresolved, and it would continue on its own timetable.

We stopped waiting for every wrong to be settled before living again.

The evening after sentencing, Tessa asked us to play a board game.

She made up her own rules halfway through, laughed when Brian lost, and declared that the winner got to choose tomorrow’s breakfast.

She chose waffles.

For the first time, I thought of the next morning without fear.

PART 23