Chapter 13 - The Hearing
The emergency guardianship hearing drew reporters.
Amanda entered in a gray suit with no makeup, looking smaller than Ethan remembered.
Her attorney argued she had made "terrible decisions under coercion" but still loved both children.
Then Amanda took the stand.
She cried when asked about Daniel.
She cried when asked about Lily.
She cried when asked about Ethan.
Mara asked one question.
"Why did Ethan eat instant noodles while you and your daughter ate a full dinner?"
Amanda's tears stopped.
"We were having behavioral issues."
"Why did you tell Lily Ethan wasn't her real brother?"
"I was overwhelmed."
"Why did you forge a school counselor's signature?"
Amanda looked at her lawyer.
"I was trying to keep the family together."
Ethan almost laughed.
The judge didn't.
The court suspended Amanda's guardianship rights and placed Ethan's trust under Mara's temporary control.
Lily remained with Denise.
Then the judge asked whether Ethan wanted to say anything.
Ethan stood on shaky legs.
"Amanda always said family means you help family."
He looked at Lily across the courtroom.
"But Lily helped me when it got her in trouble. Dad helped Lily even though she wasn't his by blood. Mara came at two in the morning because I called."
He looked at Amanda.
"I think family is who protects you when protecting you costs something."
Amanda looked away.
Afterward, Detective Cole met them on the courthouse steps.
"Raymond made a mistake."
A traffic camera had captured him entering a rural county under another name.
More important, he had called one person from a prepaid phone.
Amanda.
May you like
The call lasted eleven minutes.
And it happened after Amanda had already told police she had no idea where he was.
