I Canceled Seven Hundred Dollars After Christmas Night Left My Daughter Alone in the Dark

Brenda lined up the edges of her notepad with the table before resting her hands in her lap.

“Thanks for coming in early, Clara,” Brenda said.

She turned her notepad ninety degrees and slid it across the wood grain toward my chair.

Three bulleted lines of handwriting filled the top page, listing allegations of severe emotional instability, withholding food from a child, and sudden behavior changes at home.

“These were officially submitted to the district compliance desk,” Brenda said.

Mrs.