Chapter 5
The next few days were a blur.
CPS came to our house.
A social worker named Lisa.
She interviewed all of us separately.
She talked to Noah in his room.
With his favorite stuffed bear.
Then she talked to me.
Then to Ryan.
When she was finished, she sat with us in the living room.
"Noah is a very resilient little boy," she said.
"But he's been through a lot. I'm recommending weekly therapy for him. With a specialist in childhood trauma."
"Of course," I said.
"Whatever he needs."
Lisa looked at Ryan.
"I appreciate your honesty, Mr. Thompson," she said.
"Most perpetrators' family members deny everything. Your willingness to testify will be crucial for this case."
Ryan nodded.
"I'll do whatever it takes," he said.
"But... what happens to me?" he asked.
"Will I be charged too?"
Lisa's expression was serious.
"You knew about the abuse and didn't report it," she said.
"That's a crime. But given that you've come forward voluntarily, that you're cooperating fully, and that you're now actively protecting your son... it's unlikely. The prosecutor will make the final decision, but I'll advocate for you. You made a terrible mistake. But you're trying to fix it."
Ryan let out a breath he'd been holding.
"Thank you," he said.
After Lisa left, we started making phone calls.
We found a therapist for Noah.
Dr. Kim.
Specialized in young children who'd experienced abuse.
We scheduled the first appointment for the next day.
Then Ryan called his father.
His dad, Robert, had been quiet at the party.
He'd left early.
"Dad," Ryan said when Robert answered.
"We need to talk."
They met at a diner.
I stayed home with Noah.
When Ryan came back, he looked shaken.
"What did he say?" I asked.
Ryan sat down heavily on the couch.
"He knew," he said.
"About my mother. He said she's always been violent. That she hit me when I was little too. I don't remember most of it. I guess I blocked it out."
My heart went out to him.
No wonder he'd been so afraid to confront her.
He'd been raised in it.
"He said he's sorry," Ryan continued.
"That he failed me too. He wants to testify. Against her. He says he'll tell the court everything about her behavior. Over the years."
"That's good, isn't it?" I said.
Ryan nodded slowly.
"Yeah. But it's hard. Realizing your whole childhood was... that. And that you repeated the pattern with your own son."
I sat beside him.
I took his hand.
"You're not repeating it," I said.
"You're breaking it. That takes courage, Ryan. More than most people have."
He looked at me.
Tears in his eyes.
"Do you think you can ever forgive me?" he asked.
I didn't answer right away.
The truth was, I didn't know.
I was still angry.
Still hurt.
Still terrified by what might have happened if Noah hadn't spoken up.
But I also saw the man in front of me.
The man who was finally fighting for our family.
"I don't know," I said honestly.
"But I want to try. For Noah. For us."
Ryan squeezed my hand.
"Thank you," he whispered.
The next day, we took Noah to his first therapy appointment.
Dr. Kim was warm and gentle.
She had a playroom full of toys.
Noah was shy at first.
Hiding behind my leg.
But Dr. Kim brought out a basket of dinosaurs.
Noah loved dinosaurs.
Slowly, he came out.
He sat on the floor.
Started playing.
Ryan and I watched through a one-way mirror.
It was hard to see.
Our little boy.
Having to go to therapy because of something his own grandmother did.
But Dr. Kim was good.
She talked to Noah softly.
Let him lead the session.
After an hour, she came out to talk to us.
"He's holding a lot of fear and guilt," she said.
"He thinks he did something wrong. That the abuse was his fault. That's common in these cases. We'll work through it. It will take time. But he's going to be okay."
"Will he ever forget?" Ryan asked.
Dr. Kim looked at him with compassion.
"He might not forget," she said.
"But he will heal. He'll learn that he's safe. That he's loved. That none of this was his fault. With your support, he'll come through this stronger."
We left the office.
Noah was talking excitedly about the dinosaur toys.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
Like we were just a regular family.
Leaving a doctor's appointment.
And then Ryan's phone rang.
He looked at the caller ID.
His face went pale.
May you like
"It's her," he said.
Diane.
