I Found My Five-Year-Old in the Garage Freezer—Then Her Mother’s Signed Statement Changed the Story I Had Been Told

“Did you?”

“Grown-ups handled it.

It isn’t your job.”

She accepted that for the evening and went to find a place for her backpack.

The first Saturday visit happened as arranged.

Taylor arrived early with a library book.

She did not bring a bag of presents or ask the worker to treat the visit as ordinary unsupervised time.

I sat outside the room where the service directed me to wait.