“We need to unseal your whole state child welfare file.

Every medical report, every placement record, every administrative memo.”

I rubbed the smooth silver of my locket.

Picturing a courtroom combing through the case notes from my childhood made my throat go dry.

“If we give those files to the court,” I said, “Patrick’s lawyers will read every detail about my years in the state home.”

“They will,” Arthur said bluntly.

“That’s the cost of challenging this contract.