“I evaluated Mrs. Davis for ninety minutes,” she said. “Cognitive testing. Executive function. Financial judgment. Memory. Orientation. She scored twenty-nine out of thirty on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. The one point she missed was because she couldn’t see the picture of the camel without her glasses.”
I almost laughed. It had looked like a dog.
“She understands her finances,” Dr. Ruiz went on. “In detail. She could tell me her monthly income to the dollar. She knows the value of her house. She knows the balance of her savings account. She knows exactly how much she’s loaned to each of you.”
She looked at David.
“In my professional opinion,” she said, “Mrs. Davis has full capacity to make her own medical, financial, and personal decisions. My report will be filed with the court by noon.”
David’s mouth opened. Then it closed.
“She’s sixty-four,” he said finally. “She just had heart surgery. She’s forgetful. She forgot my daughter’s birthday last month.”
