“I didn’t say he was abusing you,” he points out gently. “I said you sound like an abuse victim. Making excuses for things that he’s done that hurt you. Using the But I love him reasoning for why all those things are okay…”

He shakes his head. “Come on, Malcolm, I know mostly you work with people who’ve already died, but you can’t tell me you’ve never come across a battered woman or two in your career. You know what it sounds like…” Excuses. It sounds like excuses.