Through the court process, the forged power of attorney was voided, Andrew’s hidden accounts were frozen, and the money he had moved was returned as part of the financial settlement.
I kept the house, though for a long time every room carried a memory I did not want.
I removed the dark jacket from the entryway after police released it from evidence.
I did not keep it, burn it, or create a ceremony around it.
I placed it in a trash bag and let it go.
Katie chose what stayed.
Her medals returned to the hallway closet.
Her scuffed sneakers remained by the door.
On the wall near the kitchen, she hung a photograph from her first gymnastics competition after the attack.
She did not win.
She completed only two routines before stepping away from the floor, overwhelmed by the noise and the crowd.
But in the photograph, she was standing upright, shoulders back, looking directly into the camera.
