Inside, the courtroom filled with loud silence as Marie spoke. She told them about the lies that sparked the investigation, told by the same people that fostered and eventually adopted them, the abuse she and her sister endured daily due to a broken system that was meant to protect them. She mentioned the folder marked “closed” before anyone cared to open it. Every word trembled, but none broke. When she finished, Ann stood and placed the old photo of “two kids, undeniable happiness hugging their mother tight” on the table in front of the judge.

“This,” she said, “is what your system took away from us.”

The room stayed silent long after she sat down.