She’s a liar!” Officer Jackson did not even turn her head fully.

“Ma’am, you’ll stay where you are, and you’ll be quiet.” Brian stood beside his mother looking as though the floor had opened under him.

“Samantha,” he said, miserable, “can’t we just — can’t we focus on Rosie right now?” I looked at him, and I felt something in me go very cold and very level.

“Our daughter is in that room,” I said, “because your mother hit me while I was holding her.

That is what we are focusing on.” “My mom didn’t mean for—” “Stop,” I said, one word, and it stopped him completely, and I saw in his face that he had never once, in the whole of our marriage, heard me say it like that before.