“It means we need to run some tests.”His expression was serious but not unkind.“Bone density scans, possibly genetic testing.There are several conditions which could explain these symptoms.Some are quite manageable with proper treatment.”
I felt my shoulders straighten slightly, the weight I’d been carrying for years not gone but somehow shifted into something I could bear.
“I’ll make sure we get some preliminary scans while Lily is here to send with you when she sees the specialist.The more information we can gather, the better.Also, I need to see if there are any other injuries.The skeletal survey will give the specialist a current view of her bones he can compare with her other images and will give him a point of reference from here on out.Unfortunately, the ER can’t do the DEXA scan, but it will be part of what the specialist will order.The DEXA scan will be the major starting point.”
I nodded, my eyes drifting back to my sleeping daughter.For so long, I’d felt like I was screaming into a void, begging someone to help us understand why Lily kept getting hurt.The relief of finally being heard nearly buckled my knees.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Cash watching me, his gaze steady and assessing.When our eyes met, he raised an eyebrow and I realized he could see my distress.I gave him a nod and a slight smile.With my daughter safe beside me and a doctor finally willing to look beyond the obvious, hope blossomed inside me, dangerous and fragile.
“They’ll be in to take her for some more pictures in a bit.Hopefully, she’ll sleep through most of it.”Then he left us alone.
I moved to Lily’s bedside opposite Cash, gently brushing a strand of hair from her forehead.“We’re going to figure this out,” I promised her quietly.“No more guessing.No more being ignored.”
Cash’s hand remained wrapped around Lily’s smaller one, his presence a silent pledge we wouldn’t face whatever came next alone.
The door opened to reveal a woman in her sixties wearing a tailored charcoal suit, her silver hair styled in a neat bob.She carried a leather portfolio and surveyed the room, her sharp blue eyes missing nothing.
“Ms.Jans,” she said, her voice carrying the weight of decades on the bench.“I’m Judge Evelyn Whitmore.”
I stood quickly, smoothing my rumpled shirt in a useless attempt to look more put together.“Yes, Your Honor.Thank you for coming.”
She nodded once, her gaze moving to Lily’s sleeping form and softening momentarily before returning to its professional composure.“Ms.Thompson briefed me on the situation.I’ve reviewed the preliminary removal order and the circumstances of what happened tonight.”
My heart hammered against my ribs.This woman held our future in her hands.I’d learned long ago hope was a luxury rarely afforded to women like me, but I couldn’t stop it from fluttering weakly in my chest.
“The circumstances of the child’s injury while in state custody are concerning enough to warrant immediate review,” Judge Whitmore stated, opening her portfolio and extracting a set of documents.“I’ve signed an order restoring full custody to you pending further investigation and medical evaluation.”
“You’re giving her back to me?”
Judge Whitmore’s expression remained unchanged, but something in her eyes suggested she understood my disbelief.“Ms.Jans, removing a child from their parent is an extreme measure that should only happen when there is clear evidence of danger.While I understand Ms.Winters’ concern, the fact remains Miss Lily was harmed in the state’s care.I personally believe things shouldn’t have escalated this far, but there are no do-overs.Also, I believe Ms.Winters will be more accommodating.
“If you cooperate fully with the medical testing Ms.Thompson is scheduling, I believe this will all be resolved.If there’s a medical explanation for your daughter’s condition, and it sounds highly possible there is, we need to find it.For both of you.”
She extended the custody papers again, and this time I managed to reach for them.My hands trembled so badly the papers rustled as I took them, clutching them to my chest as if they might disappear if I loosened my grip.
“I will,” I promised.“I’ve been trying to get someone to order these tests for a while.”
She nodded, her expression softening slightly.“I know.The system failed you both in this case.Now,” she added, her tone firming again, “Ms.Thompson will coordinate with my office once the results are back.”
Cash moved to stand slightly behind my shoulder, his solid presence radiating a protective warmth I felt without him touching me.Judge Whitmore’s gaze moved to him, taking in his tattooed skin, the motorcycle club cut, the intensity of his stance, but her expression revealed nothing of what she thought.
“You’re fortunate to have advocates, Ms.Jans,” she said finally.“Many people in your situation face these battles alone.”She nodded at Cash.“This one belongs with Kiss of Death?”She raised an eyebrow at Cash.
“Yes, ma’am,” Cash murmured softly.
“I can’t speak for individual members, Ms.Jans, but I can tell you the club as a whole is a good bunch.They’re the reason Ms.Thompson and I try to refer the women who need the most help to New Beginnings.The guys aren’t pushy but they will protect you while you’re in their territory.And they will give you some room to breathe.Let their women help you care for Miss Lily.”She gave me a gentle smile.
I couldn’t lie to myself and say it didn’t make me feel better a judge was OK with Cash and his club.Which shamed me because Cash had been the one thing holding me and Lily together, however unintentionally, with his unwavering presence.
“Thank you, Your Honor,” I managed, my voice steadier than I expected.“I expect I’ll be relying on them more than I probably should.”
Judge Whitmore smiled.“With that bunch, it’s not possible to rely on them too much.It’s what they live for.”
As she walked away, her heels clicking purposefully against the linoleum floor, Ms.Winters gathered her things from the nurses’ station.Our eyes met briefly across the distance.The anger in her gaze hadn’t diminished, but beneath it I recognized the frustrated conviction of someone who truly believed they were protecting a child.In another situation, with another mother who actually hurt her child, I might have appreciated her determination.Tonight, I felt relief she had been overruled.
The papers Judge Whitmore had given me crinkled in my grip as I finally allowed myself to look at them properly.Legal language declaring Lily would stay with me, no one could take her away without new evidenceandanother hearing, granting us time and space to find the answers we’d been seeking for years.
“It’s real,” Cash said quietly from beside me, his voice rough with emotion he wasn’t trying to hide.“She’s staying with you.”