(Caroline's POV)
The minutes stretch like hours while Charlie is in the judge's chambers.
I sit rigid in my chair, hands clenched in my lap, trying not to imagine what's happening in that room. Charlie gets overwhelmed easily. What if he shuts down? What if he has a meltdown? What if he can't communicate what he needs?
Aunt Jasmine puts a hand on my arm. "He'll be fine. Judge Morrison knows what she's doing."
I nod but don't really believe it. No one knows Charlie like I do. No one understands how to calm him when he's scared, how to help him when words fail, how to read his body language when he can't express himself.
Samuel sits at his table, looking confident. Like he's already won.
That confidence sends a spike of anger through my fear. We're in this position today all because of
