Major Hayes sat on his other side, a thick stack of blue-bound legal documents resting on the table before her.

Across the aisle, behind the defense table, sat Walter, Patricia, and Logan.

They wore orange jumpsuits, their hands bound by silver handcuffs linked to chains around their waists.

Walter looked smaller than I had ever seen him, his skin a gray, pastely color under the fluorescent lights.

Patricia refused to look at us, her eyes red-rimmed and fixed on the table.

Logan looked hollowed out, his shoulders hunched forward as if trying to disappear.

The judge, a stern woman with steel-gray hair, looked down from her high bench.

“We will begin with the sentencing for Walter Vance,” the judge said, her voice echoing in the quiet room.

She adjusted her glasses and read from the papers in front of her.

“For the charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, forgery of military discharge documents, and felony child endangerment, you are sentenced to twenty-two years in federal prison.”

Walter did not flinch, but his jaw tightened until the muscles stood out in his neck.