He never sat across from us and explained why he’d chosen to put a child in danger.

At sentencing, I prepared a statement but read only a few paragraphs.

I told the court about Tessa’s recovery, about the questions she asked before bedtime, and about the damage done when a child learns to fear the people who are supposed to protect her.

I did not describe Harold as a monster.

The label would have been too easy, and it wouldn’t have explained how ordinary he had once seemed.

I said, “My daughter is not a lesson anyone gets to teach.