The room emptied slowly, like the last bits of air leaking from a balloon. When the board finally stood to announce a recess, deliberation, they called it, my heart dropped. We were told to return at four for the final decision.
Just hours, they said.
Hours that already felt like an entire lifetime.
I stayed seated even as others moved around us, filing out with folders and clipboards and practised indifference. Chris still hadn't let go of my hand, and I wasn't about to be the first to move. His grip was firm, almost too tight, but I didn't mind. If anything, it grounded me. I squeezed back gently, and only then did he look at me.
Anne came to stand in front of us, setting her tablet on the edge of the table.
"You two should get out of here for a bit," she said gently, her voice softer now than it had been during the hearing. "Go get lunch, stretch your legs. Don't just sit in a waiting room, you'll drive yourselves insane."
