“Has Jared or Amanda ever shown signs of aggression?” the detective asked gently.

I hesitated, memories flooding back. Jared had always been a gentle soul, but in recent months, I’d noticed a strain in his voice, a tension in his shoulders. Amanda seemed overwhelmed, often speaking in clipped tones. But did that mean they were capable of hurting Liam?

“No,” I finally replied, my voice barely above a whisper. “But… the bruises. They can’t be ignored.”

Liam was kept in the hospital for observation while the investigation began. I visited him as often as I could, each time overwhelmed by the innocence in his eyes. He was so small, so vulnerable, and yet so incredibly strong.

As the days stretched into a week, I prepared myself for the fallout. Jared and Amanda were interviewed separately. Their explanations were vague, filled with confusion and denial. They claimed the bruises must have happened at daycare, or perhaps during a moment of clumsiness, but their words lacked conviction.

One afternoon, as I sat by Liam’s hospital crib, Jared walked in. He looked older, more haggard, than I’d ever seen him. He stood by the door, tears brimming in his eyes.

“Mom,” he said, his voice cracking. “We would never hurt him. You have to believe me.”

I wanted to comfort him, tell him everything would be alright, but the image of Liam’s bruises haunted me. I took a deep breath, choosing my words carefully.

“I want to believe you, Jared. I really do. But until we find out what’s happening, we have to keep Liam safe.”

The tears spilled over then, and he nodded, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “I just want him to be okay.”

It was the most honest thing he could have said, and for the first time, I saw a glimmer of hope. Maybe this was the wake-up call they needed. Maybe, just maybe, they could find a way to heal — as individuals, as parents, and as a family.

In the meantime, I would be there for Liam, doing everything in my power to ensure his safety. Even if it meant confronting the unthinkable, even if it meant standing against my own son, I would not back down. Because sometimes, love means making the hardest choices. And for Liam, I would choose him every time.