That was three weeks ago now. The bank left another message yesterday about those checks. They want to know if I plan to report anything or if they should just flag the account. I sat with the message playing on speaker while I made coffee.

The smell of it filled the room but I could not drink any of it.

I thought about calling them back and telling them to leave it alone. Mama would not want the trouble. She made that clear enough. Denise is gone from the schedule but the damage is done in more ways than the money. The agency still sends their notes every Monday and they all say the same thing, that she mostly stays quiet now and does not ask the new girl to stay for the shows.

What I got wrong was believing I could protect her without ever having to hear her say she did not want my help. The checks stopped coming and the new aide shows up like she is supposed to. That part worked out. But Mama has not called me once since that Tuesday and the phone stays quiet on my counter every night.