“Daddy… my back hurts so much I can’t sleep. Mommy told me I didn’t have the right to tell you.”

Instead, there was silence. And fear.

She turned slowly toward the room. Eight-year-old Sophie was half-hidden behind the door, her body turned sideways, as if she expected to be pulled back at any moment.

Her shoulders were hunched, her chin was down, and her eyes were fixed on the carpet as if she wanted it to swallow her whole.

“Sophie,” Aaron whispered, forcing his voice to sound calm as his heart began to pound. “Uh… I’m here. You can come with me.”

She didn’t move.