It took three years.

In the end, every debt that had been secured with a forged instrument was voided, the two lenders who had accepted documents without verifying them absorbed the loss, and the remainder was discharged against an estate that was, by then, mostly gone in fees.

What survived, into a supervised trust with a corporate trustee and Margaret as protector, was: the North Park duplex, the El Cajon commercial unit, Emily’s retirement account, and the insurance proceeds after everything else was paid.

Sophie will have access at twenty-five, in stages.

Margaret does not talk about the number.

She talks about a different one.