The judge did not need to settle the whole marriage that morning to decide whether immediate release was appropriate.

When the ruling came, I kept my pen still until I understood it.

Caleb’s request for immediate custody was denied at that stage.

Protective placement continued pending further review.

His unsupervised contact remained restricted under the interim order, with contact governed by the arrangements specified through the responsible team.

Mara did not receive permission to take the babies home either.

Her visits would be supervised under the approved plan while her circumstances and the children’s safety were assessed.