I was determined that no one would later tell her the results were simply another trick.

That evening, Chloe asked whether we could visit the aquarium after New Year’s Day.

I said yes.

She asked if Grandma would be there.

I said no.

She nodded with such visible relief that I wondered how many times she’d braced herself for another family outing.

I decided that before any court ruled on her history, I could already give her one priceless thing: days when a plan was just a plan, not a test of whether she belonged.

PART 9