Brendan’s situation is different. Compared to Joy, they have more ways to hurt Brendan. We have to protect him. We can’t let Brendan be exposed.

Fern thought I was exaggerating, so I could only give her a simple rundown of what happened with Sean and the Walker family.

“Mr. Walker’s biological family is that terrible too?” Fern couldn’t help connecting it to herself. “A kid who isn’t loved… that’s brutal.”

“You think it’s ...