“At this point, your strongest protection is that nothing about the exchange suggests wrongdoing.”

“Can I get a copy?”

“We’ll ask about a lawful copy for your records.”

I went home lighter.

Not because the footage had made us safe from every insult, but because it showed what Poppy had done without the distortions adults kept adding to it.

Meanwhile, the roof worsened.

A roofer inspected the kitchen and explained that patching another leak would cost money while postponing a larger replacement.

I thanked him and tucked the estimate beneath the sugar jar.