As for home, my mother-in-law was a ghost of herself after leaving the hospital. She wandered around the house muttering to herself. I could see it—she was on the edge of losing her mind.

One day, she called me to her room. She handed me a sealed envelope, her eyes red and raw.

"Luther," she said, "I can't hold on much longer. I'm afraid I'll lose my mind completely. Before that happens, take this. It's everything the Gilbert family owns."