He never tried to become her father.

He became someone she could count on.

When Wyatt asked him whether he was taking sides, Gabriel answered, “I’m on Piper’s side.

You can be too.”

It was the simplest explanation of the family’s new boundaries that anyone had given.

PART 22: The Verdict and the Silence After

The criminal case against Harper eventually reached a negotiated resolution.

She entered a plea to an offense arising from the intentional chair-pulling and the resulting injury, with the court considering the severity of the harm, the evidence, and the agreed terms.