That surprised me, a little.

I had expected to feel vindicated, and mostly what I felt instead was tired, and clear, and quietly relieved that it was over.

I had not set out to destroy Julian.

I had set out to protect my son and myself, and to keep the ground from being pulled out from under us, and the law had let me do exactly that, cleanly, without my ever having to become someone I would not recognize.

What happened to Julian was not my doing.