either.”
Owen looked at the photograph without reaching for it. “Can I touch it?”
Elise’s eyes softened. “We need to keep the original safe for now, buddy. But we can make a copy for you.”
“Why?”
“Because sometimes grown-ups need to show important things to other grown-ups in court.”
Owen stared at her, suspicious. “Will they give it back?”
“Yes,” Elise said. “And I’ll make sure you have a copy before we leave today.”
He studied her face with a seriousness no five-year-old should have needed.
“Do lawyers lie?” he asked.
Elise blinked once.
Maya pressed her lips together, trying not to react.
Elise crouched beside the table, her crisp suit folding awkwardly around her knees. “Some people lie, Owen. Lawyers are people, so some lawyers lie too. I don’t lie to children.”
He considered this.
Then he asked, “Do you eat pancakes?”
Elise looked startled. “Sometimes.”
“With blueberries on
