He was different today from the man I met at the bar. This summer, he seemed like a person who’d stopped giving a care. But now? Now, he’s ready to fight. Which is exactly what got me to say yes. Because I know I would’ve been just as argumentative if it had been my mom. In fact, I was that person at some point.

When my mom got sick, I fought like hell for her to get her the services she deserved. I wasn’t a lawyer yet, but I made the calls, sent the emails, and argued with what seemed like every person on planet Earth. I was nineteen when her mind started fading, so I was at least old enough to take care of everything for her. Not everyone is that lucky.

It was for that same reason I took the case of Lilian Miller close to a year ago. She reminded me so much of my mother in all the ways that mattered, except that she had no one by her side. And when she got hurt, no one cared to make sure she got the compensation she was due. The people at fault assumed a patient with Lewy body dementia could not blame them for everything, but when I’d read in the news about what had happened to that poor old lady, I felt like something wasn’t right, and only a little investigation was enough to tell me there had clearly been a mistake made. If someone had admitted it, I would’ve laid it to rest, but no one came forward, so I made sure she got her justice. I took the case pro bono—thank goodness Selina, my boss, let me—and I won it for her. Because if this had been my mom, I’d have wanted someone to do it for her.

And now here I am again, involved in a case I have no interest in taking because Aaron’s words struck a chord in me. He said they needed a fighter in their corner, but that wasn’t true. They already have one.

Just as I’m about to get up to go make the green smoothie I skipped drinking this morning, my phone rings in my hands.

“Hello?” I say as I answer.

“Wren, hi!” Selina says. “How’s it going?”

“Great, you?” I’m not about to tell her I’m two seconds away from having a panic attack at the idea that I’ll need to disrupt my life for the next few months.

“I’m great! Busy, but good.” I can hear the smile in her voice. She’s exactly what you’d want for in a boss. Whip-smart, direct, instructive, but also so nice and caring. People who say women need to act heartless to succeed in high-end jobs have never met Selina. “I was wondering how this morning went?”

See? The best.