A year has passed since the trial.

Isla was formally adopted by Jim and Megan. She’s now a bright, curious 10-year-old who loves to paint and has even started training Moose in agility classes.

She and I still keep in touch.

Last month, I got a letter in the mail.

It was a watercolor painting of a girl and a dog under a big tree. On the back, in careful handwriting, it said:

Dear Ms. Rachel,
Thank you for believing me when I couldn’t find the words.
And thank you for trusting Moose.
He knows the truth, even when people don’t.
Love, Isla.

I cried. Of course I did.