Fear and crushing anxiety settled heavily in my chest, even though I knew Terrence was with me—always ready to protect and support my mother. Still, despite his presence, I couldn’t stop myself from panicking.

Doc Mikee’s words from the other day kept echoing relentlessly inside my head.

“That man pretended to be a relative.”

I didn’t know which thought terrified me more—the fact that Mom had almost been taken, or the realization that if I hadn’t decided to stay in the ...