Damian opened his mouth to protest, but the judge raised a hand to silence him. “We will take a short recess,” he announced, “to consider the implications of this new evidence.”

As everyone began to rise and shuffle out of the courtroom, I leaned down to Zaden, wrapping my arms around him tightly. “I’m so proud of you,” I whispered. He nodded against my shoulder, his small frame relaxing slightly.

The echoes of footsteps and whispered conversations filled the air as we stepped out of the courtroom, leaving behind the echoes of a truth that had been bravely revealed by a little boy finding his voice.