The hearing eventually reached its conclusion for that day.
I listened to the final instructions.
My attorney gathered our documents.
Sarah collected her folder.
Liam slipped his phone into his pocket.
I watched him carefully.
He looked exhausted.
I wanted to take him somewhere quiet.
Somewhere without wooden benches or legal papers.
Somewhere he could sit without being asked another question.
We left the courtroom.
The hallway seemed brighter than before.
People were walking past us.
Some were talking.
Others were carrying folders.
Ordinary things continued happening.
I found that strange.
Our family had just gone through something that felt enormous, yet the courthouse continued operating as though nothing unusual had happened.
My attorney spoke with me briefly.
He explained what would happen next according to the court's instructions.
I listened and asked the questions I needed answered.
Then I looked for Liam.
He was standing a short distance away.
Sarah was nearby with her attorney.
I didn't approach her.
I didn't want to create another uncomfortable moment.
Liam looked toward me.
"Grandma?"
I walked over.
"Yes, sweetheart?"
He hesitated.
Then he asked whether he could go home.
That question nearly broke me.
He hadn't asked whether we had won.
He hadn't asked what the judge thought.
He simply wanted to go home.
I touched his shoulder.
"We'll take things one step at a time."
He nodded.
His expression remained serious.
I wanted to ask whether he was frightened.
But I already knew the answer.
He had been frightened.
Perhaps he still was.
I didn't need him to explain it.
Sarah was speaking quietly with her attorney.
After a moment, she looked toward Liam.
He noticed her.
Neither of them moved immediately.
I stepped back.
I didn't want to stand between a mother and her son.
Sarah approached him.
She spoke softly.
Liam answered.
I couldn't hear every word.
But I could see that neither seemed comfortable.
I wished things were different.
I wished Michael were there.
I wished we could all have sat around a table and discussed what Liam needed without involving lawyers.
But wishing didn't change what had happened.
When the conversation ended, Liam returned to my side.
I didn't ask him what they had said.
He didn't offer an explanation.
We walked toward the exit.
Outside, the air felt different.
I stopped for a moment and looked at him.
His navy blazer was still buttoned.
His hair was slightly out of place.
He looked like a boy who needed a quiet afternoon.
I asked whether he was hungry.
He shrugged.
Then he said he might want something to eat later.
I smiled.
"All right."
It was such an ordinary answer.
And I was grateful for it.
For the first time that day, we were talking about something other than the court case.
I wanted more moments like that.
Click here to continue reading: PART 23: When We Returned to the House That Still Held Michael’s Memories, I Finally Understood What Liam Had Been Asking Me For
The Question Nobody Wanted My Grandson to Answer, and the Silence That Followed Us Into the Courtroom
Part 22 of 24
