Chapter 84 - The Child's Advocate
The child-focused evaluator submitted a preliminary report under seal. Noah shared only the portions relevant to arrangements the adults could implement, keeping private observations appropriately protected.
The recommendations emphasized continuity in Leo's home and school, a predictable presence from Adrian, access to Vanessa as a familiar adult, and stable professional support for Dorothy.
There was no recommendation that Leo should become a public symbol of Moretti Capital or be moved for convenience between New York and Vermont.
Adrian was disappointed the report didn't give him an unqualified endorsement. Vanessa was disappointed it didn't justify immediate removal. They argued for three minutes before Noah stopped them.
“Read the recommendations as tasks,” he said, “not as verdicts about your worth.”
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I was only told the outcome afterward. The part that mattered to me was Dorothy's relief. She could finally make plans for school and winter without waiting for a boardroom emergency.
That evening I opened the small tin of tea I'd been saving and drank it slowly, grateful the child had one less uncertainty hanging over his bed.
