I looked down at my lap, my fingers touching the rough denim of my coat.

I thought of Nolan’s room in our modest apartment.

I thought of the faded blue shirt sitting on his dresser, the one with the frayed collar and the hand-sewn astronomy patches.

That shirt had been our shield, holding the hidden ledger entries that proved Grant’s deception.

With the financial burden of the legal fees lifted, we could finally secure that apartment.

We wouldn’t have to worry about eviction notices or empty cupboards.

Nolan could finally go to the real astronomy camp in the summer, the one he had dreamed about for two years.

But first, I had to get him out of that room.

Renee drove fast, navigating the winding streets of North Knoxville until the brick facade of West Knoxville Elementary appeared through the rain.

The school parking lot was quiet, but a single police cruiser was parked near the main entrance, its blue lights reflecting off the wet asphalt.

My heart seized.

“The police are already here,” I said, pushing my door open before Renee had even fully stopped the car.