Chapter 13 - The Doorbell at Eight
The social worker arrived the following morning with a plain folder and a tired expression. Her name was Erin Cole. She explained what she needed to ask, what she could and couldn't decide, and why a child's safety mattered more than any adult's argument.
Daniel invited her in.
He showed the house, the photographs of the garden incident, his documented safety steps, and the contact details for Mara and Dr. Reed. He answered questions without asking Lily to perform for the room.
Erin interviewed Lily privately in a child-friendly setting after explaining the process to Daniel. When Lily emerged, she was carrying a sticker shaped like a fox.
"I told her about the quiet room," she said.
Daniel knelt. "Thank you for telling the truth. You don't have to keep explaining it to me."
Erin promised to evaluate the information alongside the police report and follow up. There was no instant verdict, and Daniel had to accept that.
Later, he found Nora on the porch, looking toward the roses.
"Claire used to worry you were too trusting," she said.
"She was right."
"She also said you learned from mistakes faster than anybody she knew. Don't make this Lily's burden."
Daniel went inside and apologized to his daughter.
"I should have noticed sooner when you were unhappy. I missed things."
Lily studied him. "Will you miss them again?"
"I'll listen when you tell me. And I'll make sure you have other safe grown-ups, too."
She considered that, then offered him half her cookie.
His phone vibrated. Mara had received a copy of the evidence supporting the petition against him.
Among the attachments was a photograph showing Daniel gripping Lily's arm at the picnic.
The steps had been cropped away.
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But the photograph wasn't what worried Mara most.
"They've submitted a video of Lily saying she's scared of you," she said. "And it looks like they cut it in the middle of a sentence."
