Chapter 9
The case reached court in the spring.
Our advocate prepared us for the day. She explained where we would wait and who would be with Maya. I asked the same questions more than once. She answered them each time.
Maya had worked with her therapist on ways to steady herself when she felt afraid. She packed a small stone from Tasha’s garden in her pocket. She asked me to wear the green sweater she liked because she could spot it easily across a room.
I wore it.
At the courthouse, Tasha stayed on one side of Maya and I stayed on the other. Detective Brooks met us near the waiting area. She had spoken with us often enough that Maya greeted her by name.
I saw Robert at a distance. For a second, my body reacted before I could think. I remembered him standing in our kitchen, telling me Maya was exaggerating.
Then Maya took my hand.
I turned toward her.
“Do you want to go somewhere quieter?” I asked.
“Yes.”
We moved to a separate room with our advocate. Maya drank water and held the stone. She told me she wanted to continue.
I believed her. I told her I would be there.
The day was difficult. I will always remember how carefully Maya chose her words when she spoke and how tired she was afterward. I will also remember that no one asked her to comfort Robert. She was allowed to tell what she knew.
Other evidence was presented, including the notes from her box and the messages investigators had collected. I learned more than Maya had been ready to tell me. I wished she had never had to carry any of it.
At the end of the day, the advocate walked us out by a quiet entrance. Maya asked for a milkshake. We stopped on the way home, and she drank half of it before falling asleep in the car.
The court process continued. There were more meetings and calls. We stayed close to the people who could explain what was happening. I told Maya what I knew, and I admitted when I was waiting for an answer.
One evening, she asked, “If they don’t believe all of it, will you still believe me?”
“Yes.”
“You won’t ask me to see him?”
“No.”
She put down her homework. “I needed to hear that.”
“I’ll tell you again whenever you need it.”
The decision came several weeks later. Robert was found guilty. The court imposed a sentence that kept him away from Maya, and the no-contact protections remained in place. Our advocate went through the order with me so I understood what to do if any boundary was crossed.
I told Maya at home, with Tasha beside us.
She listened without moving.
“Is it over?” she asked.
“The court has made its decision,” I said. “There may still be paperwork and updates. He is not coming home or contacting you.”
She looked at the blue wall in our living room.
“I thought I’d feel different right away.”
“You don’t have to feel anything on a schedule.”
“I’m glad they believed me.”
“So am I.”
That evening, she called Lacey and asked if she could come over on Saturday. They made plans to watch a movie and work on a school project. After the call, Maya picked up her soccer ball from beside the door.
“I might go to practice next week,” she said.
“I can drive you.”
“I know.”
On Saturday, Lacey arrived with snacks and a stack of notes. They took over the living room floor. I worked in the kitchen, hearing them argue over which movie to watch. Their voices grew louder as they relaxed.
Tasha came later and brought Pepper. Maya made a place for him between the sofa and her chair. He promptly fell asleep.
After Lacey left, Maya helped me wash the dishes.
“Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you for coming to get me that morning.”
I put down the plate in my hand. “I’m glad we went.”
“I was afraid you’d turn the car around when Robert called.”
“I wish you hadn’t had to be afraid of that.”
May you like
She leaned against my shoulder. I held her while the water ran.
“I know you won’t now,” she said.
