That was three months ago.
Brenda’s trial is next month, and her lawyer tried to ask for a plea deal, but the prosecutor refused. The 47 entries in the blue notebook were too detailed, too undeniable. She won’t be setting foot near my daughter ever again.
As for us, things are different now. I moved my hours at the county office so I can pick Emma up from school myself at 3:15 PM.
Every Thursday, we stop by the Sunoco on Route 4. Maeve doesn’t work the register anymore because I helped her get a job at the school library where she has dental insurance and regular hours.
Yesterday, Emma slid her new essay across our kitchen table. The title at the top read: My Family.
There were three drawings on the page. Me, Emma, and Maeve holding a blue notebook with a yellow puppy sticker.
I smiled, and for the first time in three years, the knot in my stomach was completely gone.
