CHAPTER 469: The Replay

The social services office looked very formal. The walls, painted a dull gray, did little to warm the space. A worn plastic plant sat in one corner, its fake leaves drooping as if struggling to maintain a semblance of life. Two-year-old Hannah sat on the edge of a leather chair, her small hands gripping the frayed edges of her little coat. Her dark eyes, too big for her tiny face, wandered around the room, searching for something familiar or comforting in the cold, impersonal office. Her brown curls were tangled and unkempt, as if she had been through more than her little two years should allow. At the desk across from her sat Joan McKenzie, a seasoned social worker who had seen enough to know when to be firm and when to soften her tone. She glanced at the papers before her, her fingers tapping a steady rhythm as she reviewed the case files. Joan finally broke the silence, her voice steady but with an undercurrent of concern. “Hannah, we need to talk about something important today.