After the End(112)

And so Leila waits outside the court. She thinks about the little boy with a halo of soft brown curls, and the empty nursery at home, and the parents who love each other, but love their son more.

In a few moments, the doors will open, and the next act of Dylan’s story will begin. No matter what the judge’s ruling, Max’s and Pip’s lives will be irreversibly changed today, and Leila knows they will forever question the choices they made in the weeks leading up to the hearing. But when you stand at a crossroad you cannot see each destination, only the beginnings of the paths that will lead you there. All you can do is choose one, and walk, and hope that someone will walk with you.

There is a burst of activity behind her. Leila turns. Through the open door of the courtroom she sees Pip and Max, the distance between them seeming to grow even as she watches.

It is over. And it is only just beginning, too.