The words were calm, but Elise thought she caught the tremor underneath, like a wire straining under weight. The social worker left satisfied, clipboard full of ticked boxes, and Elise felt a flash of frustration. How neatly could fear masquerade as stability?
When Elise entered again to deliver medication, Olivia was folding baby clothes with slow precision. She looked up and said, “They always think something’s wrong.” Elise wanted to say, Because something feels wrong love, but she swallowed it, choosing to smile silently rather than to confront.