I began remembering ordinary things again.
The names of favorite books.
Appointments.
Little conversations with friends.
I moved into Helen’s guest room temporarily and slowly rebuilt my routines.
Then I finally met Laura Mitchell.
She walked with a cane and spoke quietly, but her eyes were warm.
We sat together in a small café.
She told me about the earlier research program and how she’d initially believed the doctors genuinely wanted to help her.
When she began experiencing troubling symptoms, her concerns were repeatedly dismissed.
Eventually, she started questioning her own judgment.
Listening to her felt like hearing my own experience.
“Why did you warn me?” I asked.
Laura smiled sadly.
“Because nobody listened when I first asked questions.”
I reached across the table and squeezed her hand.
“Thank you.”
“Live well, Margaret,” she answered. “That’s enough.”
I carried those words with me.
The review of the research program continued, and eventually my marriage formally ended.
Daniel didn’t contest our separation.
