Evelyn’s chin lifted.
“You’ll take him away from me.”
“I’m not taking him away. I’m making sure you have support.”
“You say that now.”
“Mom.”
“You said Elena needed support too.”
Daniel’s face tightened.
Silas was seated at the table drawing on the back of an unopened advertisement. He had filled the page with connected houses. Every house had a door. Every door was open.
I sat beside him.
“Do you want to go home with your father tonight?”
He kept drawing.
“Yes.”
“Do you feel safe with him?”
“Yes.”
“Do you feel safe with your grandmother?”
Silas looked at Evelyn.
“Yes.”
“Is there anything else in this house you wanted someone to see?”
He stopped his pencil.
For a moment, I thought there was another room.
Another collection.
Another hidden truth.
Instead, he pointed at the letters.
“I wanted someone to tell me whether they were real.”
