‘Yes, Your Honor.’

‘And they need you to ask for help when you need it.’

That was harder.

I had been managing alone since I was a teenager.

I knew how to finish jobs at midnight, fix broken faucets, and make a week’s groceries last ten days.

Admitting I couldn’t solve everything with effort was new territory.

‘I will,’ I said.

Eleanor met us outside with a packet of forms and a handwritten list of agencies offering parenting courses, grief counseling, and assistance for sibling placements.