Chapter 10 - Justice and Peace
Two weeks passed. The neighborhood gossip eventually cooled, as suburban drama always does, but the consequences for Scott remained indelible.
Tara and the other mothers had made sure the community knew the truth. Scott was quietly dropped from his weekend softball league. Several clients from his freelance consulting business severed ties, uncomfortable with the public exposure and the impending CPS investigation.
Becca had moved out to stay with her parents three days after the court hearing. According to a mutual acquaintance, discovering that Scott had lied about their finances, stolen money from his own daughter, and risked the lives of neighborhood kids had shattered whatever illusions she had left about their marriage.
On a bright Saturday morning, an envelope arrived in the mail.
Inside was a cashier’s check for $415, accompanied by a court receipt. Scott had complied with the order.
I called June into the living room.
“Come here, honey,” I smiled, holding out the check.
June looked at the numbers, her eyes widening. “Is that...?”
“That’s your money,” I said. “Every single dollar that those parents paid for your hard work watching their children. It’s going into your high school savings account on Monday. But right now? We’re going to the bookstore, and you’re picking out whatever you want. On Dad’s dime.”
For the first time in weeks, June gave me a full, radiant, carefree smile—the smile of a twelve-year-old girl who didn't carry the weight of adult dysfunction on her back.
“Can I get the entire fantasy series I wanted?” she asked, bouncing on her heels.
“Every single volume,” I laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
May you like
We spent that Saturday afternoon lost in the aisles of the local bookstore, smelling fresh paper and drinking hot cocoa. June laughed until her sides hurt as we picked out goofy bookmarks. The dark cloud that had hung over our lives since the baby shower had dissipated, replaced by the warm, steady sunlight of safety, honesty, and justice.
We had won. June was safe. The boundaries were drawn, and our lives were finally our own again.
