Judge Barrett brought her heavy wooden gavel down with a clean, absolute strike.
Outside the courthouse, bright afternoon sun broke through the gray clouds hovering over Columbus.
Penelope carried Oliver’s car seat safely while Daisy walked right beside her, holding onto Penelope’s coat sleeve with one hand and her plush rabbit with the other.
As they reached the parking lot, Daisy looked up into the clear sky. “Are we finally going back home now, Mommy?”
Penelope thought briefly about the house, the nursery that was waiting to be finished, the kitchen that would no longer hold terrifying secrets, and the bright future ahead of them. She thought about painting the walls with warm colors, changing the door locks, making Saturday morning pancakes, and raising her two children in a home filled with genuine love and safety.
“Yes, my sweet girl,” Penelope said, smiling down at her daughter. “We are finally going home.”
