Chapter 7: The Shadows Reach
Healing was rarely a straight line. One Tuesday afternoon, Maya received a formal court summons. Dustin and Eleanor were suing for full custody, alleging that Maya was emotionally unstable and had kidnapped Lily.
The news hit Maya like a physical blow. The financial cost of a custody battle threatened to drain her modest savings, but the emotional threat to Lily was far worse.
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Maya hired Sarah Miller, a local family law attorney known for her fierce advocacy for children. Sarah reviewed the evidence: the photos Maya had taken of Lily's scalp the morning they left, the text messages from Dustin defending his mother's actions, and the psychological evaluation report from Lily's pediatrician.
""They have money,"" Sarah told Maya plainly in her office. ""But we have the truth. And more importantly, we have evidence of a toxic environment that harmed the child. We will fight this, Maya.""
