Chapter 9: The Downtown Office
The consultation room at the downtown social services annex was small, windowless, and smelled faintly of floor wax and old paper, but to Maya, it felt like the safest place on earth the moment the door opened. Richard stood up abruptly from the metal table, his tall frame clad in a rumpled suit shirt with the tie removed, looking older and more worn than he had twenty-four hours ago. The moment he saw Maya standing in the doorway with Sarah, the last remnants of his composed adult exterior crumbled. He crossed the room in two long strides and dropped to his knees, wrapping his arms tightly around the young girl and burying his face in her shoulder. Maya threw her arms around his neck, burying her face against his chest, finally letting out the sobs she had held back through the police interrogation and the lonely night at the foster home. Neither of them spoke for a long time, holding onto each other as if letting go would cause the cruel reality of the world to snatch them apart again.
Sarah stood quietly by the doorway, her hands folded over her clipboard, watching the emotional reunion with quiet empathy before clearing her throat softly to remind them of the ticking clock. "Mr. Vance, we have about thirty minutes before your legal team requires you back at the federal courthouse for the preliminary financial hearing," Sarah announced gently. Richard reluctantly loosened his embrace, keeping his hands firmly on Maya’s shoulders as he looked down at her face, checking the fading bruise on her cheek with a thumb that trembled slightly. "Are you alright, Maya? Did Mrs. Gable take good care of you?" he asked, his voice thick with emotion. Maya nodded rapidly, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her woolen sweater and offering a small, brave smile. "She's very nice, Da
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