“I may have been mistaken about the precise hour,” Margaret said.

“That’s possible,” Naomi agreed.

“But we need to establish the timeline rather than assume it.”

Across the room Adam watched his mother fold her hands tightly.

For the first time, her voice sounded less like certainty and more like control.

PART 8

The hearing broke briefly while court staff resolved a scheduling matter.

In the hallway, Helen the nanny waited with Idan, who had come with Adam because the family’s childcare plans fell through.