Henry Stark pushed open the conference room door.
When Willow saw him, she shot to her feet and asked urgently, "Mister, were you the one who found my mom in the refrigerator?"
Henry Stark met the little girl’s reddened eyes and nodded gently. "Yes."
"Then... then..." Willow took a deep breath and asked nervously, "Did... did my mom look... okay?"
Her fingers dug into her palms, her voice trembling slightly.
"She had some wounds on her body," Henry Stark said carefully. "We contacted your maternal grandparents, but their attitude was very strange."
They said they had no daughter named Polly Eames.
"They’re not my grandparents," Willow said, choking back a sob. "My mom didn’t have a father or mother. She said they were her adoptive parents."
Polly Eames’s birth parents had seven girls in a row, only having a son on their eighth try.
To support their son, they sold the last four daughters they had, keeping only the three oldest who could help with chores and take care of their little brother.
Polly Eames was the sixth daughter. At the age of five, she was sent to her adoptive parents’ home, where she gained a blind father, an epileptic mother, and a brother with a limp.
From then on, Polly Eames’s life became one of drudgery, slaving away for her adoptive family of three.
When Polly Eames turned eighteen, she overheard her adoptive parents talking and learned they had been raising her as a child bride, intending for her to marry her limping brother.
Polly Eames panicked.
She couldn’t accept it. Even though they weren’t related by blood, in her heart, her adoptive brother was still her brother.
Polly Eames left a letter and boarded a train alone to go find work elsewhere.
She found ways to send money home every year, but she never dared to return herself, afraid that if she went back, she would never be able to leave again.
Later, Polly Eames met a man—Willow’s father.
She married Willow’s father and quickly became pregnant.
It wasn’t until after Willow was born that Polly Eames dared to return to her adoptive parents’ home with her husband and daughter.
When her adoptive parents learned she had married and had a daughter, they flew into a rage. They called over their male relatives and gave Willow’s father a brutal beating.
Terrified, Willow’s father abandoned Polly Eames and Willow, running away that very night.
Polly Eames’s adoptive mother called Willow a bastard and threatened to give her away. This horrified Polly Eames, who fled her adoptive parents’ home once again, taking the eight-month-old Willow with her.
"So they were her adoptive parents," Henry Stark said, his dark brows furrowing slightly.
’Then there are no adults in Willow’s family who can handle this matter.’
Willow asked cautiously, "Mister, can I still see my mom?"
"You really want to see her again?" Henry Stark asked.
Willow was a minor under the age of fourteen. If she had a strong desire to see Polly Eames one last time, she would first need to undergo a psychological evaluation to assess her ability to cope.
Willow nodded, her tone earnest. "I do! This is the first time I’ve been away from my mom for so long. I’ll never get to see her again, so I want to see her one more time."
Henry Stark explained the process to her, then said, "First, you’ll need to talk with a psychologist, okay?"
"Okay," Willow replied with a firm nod.
Glenn twisted the hem of his shirt, hesitating for a moment before speaking up. "I want to see Mom one more time, too."
"Glenn, you’re still too young," Sawyer said softly.
"Am I too young to see her?" Glenn asked.
Sawyer nodded slightly. "Yes. It’s not recommended."
Glenn didn’t insist, just pursed his lips and lowered his head, saying nothing more.
Sawyer looked at Henry Stark. "Should I have the psychologist come in then?"
The psychologist was there for the two siblings. They were so young, and after experiencing something like this, they needed immediate counseling.
"Alright." Henry Stark nodded, then looked at Renee Jennings. "Take Glenn outside for now."
Renee Jennings looked at Glenn and said gently, "Glenn, I’ll take you for a walk outside."
"Okay," Glenn answered obediently.
Renee Jennings took Glenn to feed some nearby rabbits. About half an hour later, she got a call from Henry Stark.
Willow would be allowed to see Polly Eames one last time.
Renee Jennings took Glenn back to the police station for his counseling session.
At lunchtime, the siblings ate boxed meals with everyone at the station.
Glenn seemed unaffected by the situation, eating his meal quietly.
Willow held her chopsticks but hadn’t eaten a bite.
Everyone knew she had no appetite and exchanged knowing glances.
After lunch, Willow stared blankly into space, her eyes vacant.
Glenn looked at her and couldn’t help but ask, "Sister, what are you thinking about?"