She stiffened.

“You used to be a pleasant girl.”

“I used to be quiet,” I said.

“Those aren’t the same thing.”

The mediator suggested a break.

I took a short walk around the building, breathing cold air until the tightness in my shoulders loosened.

I didn’t want to turn my life into endless confrontation.

I wanted to raise Miles, work, and sleep without fearing a message from Kyle’s mother.