“Always will,” he said.
The X-ray showed no full break, but there was deep bruising and a sprain that would need a sling, follow-up care, and time.
The doctor documented the marks.
The nurse photographed what needed to be photographed for the medical file.
The officer took my statement, Derek’s statement, and Lena’s.
Lena did not defend Travis.
That mattered.
It did not erase what had happened, but it mattered.
She told the officer she had gone to the grocery store and left Noah with Travis for less than thirty minutes.
She said she had never seen him hit Noah before.
Then her voice broke and she added, “But he scared him. I knew he scared him sometimes. I told myself I was overreacting.”
That sentence stayed in the room longer than any of us wanted.
Because there it was.
The little door adults open when they do not want to see the whole hallway.
