What am I missing with my variables and trigger?

Thank you both - I tested with a button as a trigger. Sadly, I can't share images of the project.

Sam's help with inserting variable reference really did it! I was only missing this one bit of info, and being now able to track what's active and what isn't, I was able to troubleshoot this. This info is really hard to find in official documentation on Storyline. Being self-taught has its (more or less embarrassing) ups and downs!

Thanks again for your help :)