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“We’ll fight her,” Jude said “We have no choice ”

Bill nodded “Good I’ll file our response and let you knohen the adequate-cause hearing is scheduled ”

“I’ her lawyer’s office

“Yeah,” Scot said “I iine they don’t want to be reminded of … what happened ”

“What I did ”

“What you did isn’t the su about you here This is about your daughter You love her, and she needs you That’s what you have to focus on now That’s what you can control The Farradays’ grief is their problem ”

She had been ruined again by just seeing Zach Wanting hi would she love him?

“I sa much Zach loves her,” Lexi said softly

“It’s not about him Or them Or what you did It’s about Grace What does it feel like, Lexi, when a mother turns her back on you?”

Lexi stopped pacing and looked at her lawyer “Thank you That puts it in perspective ”

His intercom buzzed Scot reached forward and picked up his phone “Hey Bea … Bill Brein, huh? Okay, thanks ” Hanging up, he opened his desk calendar and wrote so to need to be strong, Lexi ”

“I’ ”

“Really strong,” he said “They’re fighting back ”

Two days later, Lexi was back in a courtrooht a flood of painful memories So much so that when Scot asked Lexi to dress in black, she said no She would not re-create that day Instead, the day before the hearing, she went to the thrift store again and purchased a flared, ankle-length sea-green skirt, a barely worn V-neck sweater that was only a shade or two lighter, and a pair of bronze sandals