and established protocol.
Now, standing in the courtroom before Judge Miller, the atmosphere was thick with tension. The state’s attorney stood and painted a picture of Carter as a well-meaning but hopelessly naive young man. He argued that a single man in his twenties could not possibly grasp the monumental responsibility of five young lives, characterizing the move as an impulsive act of charity rather than a sustainable plan.
Carter listened, his hands trembling slightly at his sides. He knew the attorney wasn’t entirely wrong. He was terrified. He didn’t
