I gave her the same answer every time.
“You live with me. Always.”
She began therapy.
During the first appointment, she barely spoke.
At the second, she drew the old porch.
At the third, she drew a girl standing outside while three adults watched through the window.
At the fourth, the girl was walking away.
We placed that drawing on our refrigerator.
Meanwhile, Evelyn continued fighting the eviction.
She claimed she had been confused.
Then the video was submitted.
She claimed Lily had only been outside briefly.
Then the timestamps were produced.
She accused me of manipulating the trust.
Then my father’s attorney presented the original documents, fully signed and notarized.
He also gave me a letter my father had written before his death.
It said:
*Claire, your mother knows how to make people question what they witnessed with their own eyes. I should have protected you sooner. This house is not Evelyn’s reward. It is shelter for you and Lily. Never let anyone convince you that cruelty becomes love simply because it comes from family.*
I read the letter inside my car and cried until
