I sat back down on the stairs, the adrenaline finally beginning to fade, leaving me exhausted.

“What do I do now?” I asked.

“We go to court tomorrow morning,” Robert said. “We use this police report about the threat. We use the federal restriction on his passport. We ask the judge for emergency sole custody and an immediate restraining order.”

“Will it work?”

“The judge cannot ignore a federal tax evasion inquiry and an attempted flight from the country,” Robert said. “We have him cornered, Clara.”

“I just want it to be over,” I said.

“Get some sleep if you can,” Robert said. “The police are outside. You are safe for the rest of the night.”

“Thank you, Robert.”

I hung up the phone.

The house was quiet again.

I walked back to the children’s room and lay down on the small daybed in the corner.

I didn’t close my eyes.

I watched the red and blue lights from the patrol car reflect faintly on the ceiling.

The hours crawled by.

At 6:30 AM, the sky began to turn a pale, watery gray.