I sat beside Evan in the family courtroom and tried not to look at the clock.
The room was smaller than I expected. There were no rows of spectators, only a long table, a few chairs, and the judge's bench. Noah sat with Dana near the back, close enough that I could see the frayed cuff of his sweatshirt. Grant and Elise sat on opposite sides of the room. Their lawyers had folders open in front of them.
I was allowed to speak after the county's report was summarized. I stood, took the oath, and told the judge what I had seen.
I described the cottage as accurately as I could. I said the refrigerator had stopped cooling. I said Noah told us the radiator worked only sometimes. I said I had seen the overdue utility notice. I described the missed school days and the twenty-three-minute walk fr
