When the judge returned and the session resumed, I raised my hand and told the court what my son had just told me.

Judge Leonard’s voice gentled. “Toby, did your father tell you that getting a puppy depended on what you said in this courtroom?”

Toby nodded. “He told me I should remember which house had a big backyard.”

Russell leaned forward. “Your Honor, I was trying to get my boy excited about spending more time with me!”

Judge Leonard raised a hand and cut him off, his voice filling the room. “A child’s love is not a commodity to be purchased with toys, sir. And his fears are not tools for you to use in a custody fight.”

Russell sank back into his chair, unable to look at anyone. For two years he’d made every excuse sound reasonable. In that room, the excuses finally ran out.