parking lot wa

and turned off the engine. He didn't move to get out. He

said. "Get ou

er. It was just a flat statement of fact, lik

n was trying to break through the clouds, but it offered no warmth. Sh

over her. They walked up the concrete steps and through the hea

hey walked down a long, quiet hallway and pushed throu

lasses sat behind the counter. She looked up as t

ense," Graham said, placing his

ced up at Graham, her expression neutral, before looking ba

n the back of her mind, a tiny puzzle piece

ty numbers," the woman

ID. The woman typed for a few more minutes, then

s out. Bo

ttled. She tried to write her name, but the letters came out as a jagge

. She couldn't eve

d around her trembling hand, steadying it. His pa

imie Stuart" in a clear, legible script. It felt like he was

e pen, and signed his own name

oman said, stamping the paper. "You need a

," Graham said. "We'll u

wooden podium and a few rows of chairs. A bored-looking

man opened the binder and began reading fro

ake Jaimie Stuart to be y

lear, strong, and witho

Jaimie Stuart, take Graham Lawson t

She saw Gerry's sneering face. She saw her father's dis

anding right behind her, his breath w

ween her ribs and piercing her heart

id, the word

e paper, and handed it to

e didn't even look at it. He simply folded it into a neat square and

han thirty minutes, sh

ight, stinging her eyes. She felt like she was w

aid as they got back into the car. "I'll dr

n't loo

. I'll take

ve her to the apartment, pulled up

nd her, went straight to her bedroom, and collapsed onto the bed. She pulled the covers over h

he pulled it out fr

om Graham. No wo

cate. Her signature next to his. A perma