I covered my mouth.
“She stayed in the hospital all night when George broke his arm.”
“I fell out of a tree,” George explained.
The judge nodded.
Jeffrey continued.
“She came to every parent conference. Every soccer game she could. She packs notes in our lunches when we have tests.”
His eyes filled.
“And when we ask why our mom left, Grandma never says bad things about her.”
That broke something in Vanessa.
She looked down.
Jeffrey wiped his face.
“I don’t want anybody to punish her. I just don’t want to be taken away from the person who raised us.”
George stepped closer to him.
“Me either.”
The judge called a brief recess.
As soon as we entered the hallway, Jeffrey began shaking.
I pulled him into my arms.
“You were very brave.”
“I thought I was going to throw up.”
George hugged us both.
“You looked like you were going to throw up.”
