A murmur went through the gallery, and even Judge Leonard looked moved. Martha went on to describe our routines, Toby’s grades, his meals, and how I came into his room to check on him every night no matter how late I got home.

Before she stepped down, she looked across the room at Russell.

“You’ve spent this whole morning pointing at what my daughter can’t afford,” she said. “You haven’t said one word about what your son is afraid of losing.”

Part 7 — The Unspoken Promises

During a short recess, Toby sat beside me at the table, quiet, staring at his hands. I put my arm around his shoulders and asked what was wrong.

After a long pause he whispered that Russell had promised him a whole new bedroom set, a mountain bike, and a golden retriever puppy if he agreed to live at the townhouse full time.

That wasn’t the worst of it. Russell had also warned him that if he said anything bad about his father in court, the puppy would go to someone else.