Chloe clutched Mr. Whiskers tighter, her small fingers curling around the rabbit’s floppy ear, as if drawing courage from her trusted companion. Her eyes were wide, but there was a certain fire in them, a wisdom that belied her tender age. The entire courtroom held its collective breath, waiting for her to continue.
She took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly but gaining strength with each word. “When Daddy is here, he is always with me. He makes time for me, and I feel special. Like, like I’m the most important thing in the world to him. But when Daddy is not here, I feel like I’m not number one. I feel second.”
