“I’m right here.

I’ve got you.

I’m not going anywhere.” And I meant every word as a vow, not just for that moment but for all the moments after it, because I understood, kneeling on that floor, that my son had spent hours that night learning a terrible lesson, that when he was in trouble and afraid and cold, the people who were supposed to protect him would not open the door.

That is a lesson that can shape a whole life if it is allowed to stand.