Lila’s P.O.V.
The summons arrived at 8:47 a.m., delivered by a courier in a plain gray uniform who looked as uncomfortable as I felt. The envelope was thick cream paper, sealed with the Blackwood County Mediation Board emblem—a simple oak leaf pressed into red wax. I opened it with shaking hands while the kids ate cereal at the kitchen table, their spoons clinking cheerfully against bowls.
Emergency Mediation Hearing
Blackwood County Family Dispute Resolution Council
Today, 2:00 p.m.
Blackwood Community Hall
Attendance mandatory. Failure to appear may result in default judgment.
Ethan had moved faster than I’d expected. The court custody hearing wasn’t until tomorrow, but he’d already dragged our private nightmare into the county’s informal mediation system—the board that ha
