Stability did not show up as relief. It came through discipline. On the fifth morning after they had decided to scale down Boston, Lynda found herself awake before the alarm rang. She was not anxious. Just aware. Her body had gotten used to the constant pressure, and now that the chaos had narrowed itself into something more organized, her mind refused to wander off. She sat up slowly in her rented apartment; the quiet did not feel oppressive anymore, more like it was on purpose.

Those same ...