At 2 P.M., I Walked Into My Parents’ Backyard Expecting To Pick Up My 8-

after the sentencing, I woke up to the sound of soft footsteps. Amelia was standing by our bedroom door, hugging her stuffed dolphin—the same one we’d been reading stories about in the hospital.

“Mom,” she whispered, “can I sleep with you and Ethan tonight?”

Ethan lifted the blanket before I could answer.

“Of course, kiddo.”

She crawled in between us and continue reading …