Arthur set the blue handkerchief on his desk, smoothing out the folds with his palm.
“The court granted you temporary status because of the emergency, Luke,” Arthur said, his voice slow and measured.
“But temporary status is a very thin shield.”
“Clara wants her,” I said. “She came to the house again.”
“I know,” Arthur said.
He reached into a drawer and pulled out a stapled document with a blue backing sheet.
“She has already filed a formal motion for legal guardianship,” Arthur said.
I stared at the thick stack of papers.
“When did she do that?” I asked.
“Three days ago,” Arthur said.
He turned the document so I could see the official county stamp on the first page.
“She did not mention this to you?” Arthur asked.
“No,” I said. “She brought a box of clothes and talked about the school counselor.”
Arthur nodded slowly, his fingers tapping the edge of the blue paper.
“The court has scheduled a preliminary review for next month,” he said.
“We will need to show a stable home environment, Luke, and that requires steady income.”
“I have the insurance money coming,” I said.
