I walked out of the courtroom, my legs shaking.

Renee met me in the hallway, a gentle smile on her face.

“You fought for him,” Renee said. “And you won.”

“Thank you, Renee,” I said, wiping my eyes. “Thank you for listening to Nolan.”

“He is a special boy,” Renee said. “He deserves to be with you.”

I walked down the steps of the courthouse into the bright afternoon sun.

The air felt clean and warm.

The heavy weight that had rested on my chest for a year was gone.

I drove back to the apartment, the radio playing softly.

When I opened the door, Nolan was sitting at the kitchen table, drawing a picture of the moon.

My mother was standing by the stove.

She looked at my face and knew instantly.

She dropped her wooden spoon and wrapped her arms around me.

“It’s over,” I whispered into her shoulder.

“We are safe.”

“Is Dad coming back?” Nolan asked, looking up from his drawing.

I walked over and knelt beside his chair.

“No, sweetie,” I said, taking his small hand. “You’re staying here with me. For good.”