I want them proving what happened.”

During a break, Joanne approached us in the hallway.

She had visited Kyle several times and said he looked frightened.

Rachel hugged her mother, then stepped back.

“Mom, you can love him,” she said.

“But please don’t ask me to make this easier for him.” Joanne nodded, crying.

“I won’t,” she promised.

“I only wish somebody had stopped all of this years ago.”