Chapter 17 - Let Me Tell It
A juvenile court hearing determined what placement would serve Eli best while the case continued. I sat beside Naomi with Daniel behind me. Eli's advocate sat with him, not with any adult who claimed to own his future.
The judge reviewed assessments, the progress of visits, and Eli's current foster placement. Nobody pretended biology was enough. Nobody pretended the years I'd missed could be erased by a hospital band.
When the judge invited Eli to speak, he stood holding the edge of his chair.
“People keep saying they know what's best for me,” he said. “June used to ask what I thought. I liked that.”
The courtroom went quiet.
“I want to know Claire. And Lily. And Daniel. But I don't want to move tomorrow and have everybody act like I'm happy about it.”
I couldn't breathe for a moment. It was the most reasonable request anyone had made all year.
The judge thanked him and approved continued visits with a gradual transition plan, subject to the county's assessments. Eli would stay in his stable placement while we built trust.
Outside, reporters approached after hearing rumors about a charity investigation. Naomi kept Eli's identity and protected case details out of their reach. We refused every request for a family photograph.
That evening my mother left me a voicemail. Her voice shook.
“I should have told you when June was sick. I thought if I kept it quiet, the problem would pass. I can never ask you to forgive that.”
For the first time, she didn't ask me to protect her reputation.
May you like
But when I checked the mail, there was another envelope from her lawyer.
Inside was a copy of a letter June had written to me three months before she died—a letter I'd never received.
