My son had once known the money belonged to me.

The forgetting had happened later, when remembering became inconvenient.

PART 10: The Quiet Room at the Advocacy Center

A victim advocate named Teresa met me in a bright office with a basket of tissues and a pitcher of water.

She explained options for safety planning, civil protection proceedings, and support services.

She also explained what she could not promise: a judge would have to decide any requested order, and the criminal process would depend on evidence and prosecutorial decisions.

I appreciated the limits.