The next court date brought a different kind of anxiety.

We were no longer discussing a last-minute attempt to delay separation.

We were reviewing an established placement, the services supporting it, and the remaining steps toward a permanent legal arrangement.

The paperwork filled two folders.

The emotions had no folder large enough.

Judge Harrington remembered Lucas.

He asked about school, hobbies, and whether the children felt secure.

Their representative summarized their wishes without making them carry the entire burden of the decision.