We went through the numbers together.

We had the revenue, the reserves, and the work to support a new colleague.

My decision no longer needed to prove anything about Spencer.

It could simply be a good business decision.

I also learned that restitution and financial repair were different from emotional repair.

A payment could restore an account balance.

It could not give me back the evenings I’d spent second-guessing my own voice.

I stopped expecting legal papers to heal that part.