I’m allowed to make one decision without being cross-examined.”

“You are,” I said.

“But I’m not required to approve a transfer from my savings.”

“I never said you were.”

“You asked me to move a hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”

“I asked because you have it available.” She picked up a receipt and folded it once.

“You’ve always thought I was the one who couldn’t manage money.” I told her I had thought she made some rushed decisions, and she said, same difference, and I said, no, it isn’t, and she looked down at the receipt and said, very quietly, the thing underneath all of it: “Chad believes in me.”

Later she sat on her sofa scrolling through his messages, smiling, turning the screen toward me to show me one where he said he was proud of her and that the opportunity would prove what they could build together.