Amber
Evalie’s soft voice cut through the silence like a gentle wind. “All my friends live with both their mummy and daddy,” she said simply. “So why should I have to pick one?”
A murmur swept across the room again.
Evalie shrugged her tiny shoulders. “It hasn’t been very long since I met my daddy… but I want to keep seeing him. He listens to me and makes me laugh. And I love my mummy a lot and I want to be with her all the time.”
She twiddled with her fingers. “I love both my parents. Can’t I stay with both of them? Please?”
My vision blurred. I blinked rapidly, but the tears escaped anyway—silent, warm trails down my cheeks. Ian placed a hand over my knee and rubbed circles with his thumb. I wasn’t even sure I was breathing.
The judge gave Evalie a small nod and leaned in close, j
