After drop-off, my son’s teacher asked, “Why is your son absent today?”

The urgent care doctor came out and told me she was completing a mandatory reporter form. She said Theo’s injuries and the whole situation clearly meant child abuse and endangerment. She explained that this report would go to CPS and law enforcement, adding to all the documentation that was already piling up.

I was grateful they were documenting everything so carefully even though each new form and photograph felt like proof of how badly I had failed to protect my son. A detective walked into the urgent care waiting area about 20 minutes later. He was wearing a dark suit and carrying a leather folder under his arm.

He introduced himself as Stanley Price and asked if we could talk privately while the nurses finished with Theo’s paperwork. We moved to a small consultation room and he pulled out a recording device after asking my permission. Detective Price explained that this case involved multiple potential charges including child labor law violations, child endangerment, forgery, and possibly coercion or threats against a minor.

He said the threatening texts alone were serious but combined with everything else this was a significant criminal case. I handed over Theo’s phone and he photographed each message carefully before placing the phone in an evidence bag. He asked me to start from the beginning and tell him everything that happened today.

I walked him through the morning meeting with Mrs. Stevenson and Principal Miles. I described watching the security footage of Theo being picked up every morning. I explained finding the forged permission slips and the threatening texts from Uncle Mike.

Detective Price took detailed notes and asked specific questions about the timeline. He wanted to know exactly who said what at the construction site. I told him about Maya admitting it was her idea and that they needed the money for her custody lawyer.

His pen stopped moving when I mentioned that. He looked up and asked me to repeat that part about the custody case and the lawyer fees. I explained that Maya has been fighting for custody for almost a year and that she’s been struggling financially.

Detective Price nodded and wrote something in his notes that he underlined twice. He asked if I had any previous concerns about Maya and Derek’s behavior with Theo. I admitted that Theo had seemed more tired lately and sometimes came home with small bruises but I thought he was just being clumsy.

I told him about the old phone number issue at the school and how the school couldn’t reach me to verify anything. Detective Price’s phone rang while we were talking. He answered it and listened for about 2 minutes.

When he hung up he looked relieved. He told me that CPS had been notified about the police intervention and was converting today’s home visit into an emergency safety planning meeting instead. He explained that having law enforcement already involved actually helped my case because it showed I took immediate protective action once I discovered what was happening.

A CPS case worker named Naelli Garrison would meet us at my house in about an hour to assess the situation and determine next steps. Detective Price said this was much better than having CPS show up expecting to find an absent child and a negligent parent. He finished taking my statement and said he would be in touch as the investigation progressed.

The urgent care doctor came back with a folder full of papers and photographs. She explained that Theo was medically cleared to go home but I needed to watch for any delayed symptoms from the caffeine exposure or physical strain. She handed me copies of all the medical records and photographs.

The doctor emphasized that I should keep these safe because they would be important for both the criminal case and any custody proceedings. She also gave me a referral for a pediatrician to do follow-up care in a few days. Theo came out of the exam room looking exhausted.

He walked over and grabbed my hand tightly. His grip was so tight it almost hurt but I didn’t say anything. We left the urgent care facility and headed to the parking lot.

The drive home took about 15 minutes. For the first few minutes Theo just stared out the window without saying anything. Then he started talking quietly.

He told me what the past 3 weeks were really like. He said Uncle Mike would pick him up every morning right after I dropped him off at the school. They would drive to different construction sites around the county.

Theo described waking up at 5:00 in the morning because he was so worried about being late. He said he worked until 4:00 or 5 in the afternoon carrying materials and cleaning up debris. Then Uncle Mike would drop him back near school so he could catch the late bus home.

I kept my hand steady on the wheel and my voice calm even though I wanted to scream. Theo said Derek told him that if he said anything his mom would disappear and it would be his fault. He said Uncle Mike showed him pictures on his phone of his mom looking sad and told him she would stay sad unless he kept working.

The manipulation made me so angry I could barely see straight but I kept my voice gentle. I told Theo he was safe now and that he did the right thing by not fighting when I showed up at the construction site. I explained that none of this was his fault and that the adults who were supposed to protect him had made terrible choices.

Theo started crying quietly. He said he thought I would be mad at him for missing school. I pulled into a gas station parking lot and turned to face him. “I told him I was not mad at him at all and that I was proud of him for surviving something so scary.”

We sat there for a few minutes while he cried then we continued driving home. We pulled up to my apartment building at the same time as a silver sedan. A woman got out carrying a tablet and a canvas bag.

She walked over to us and introduced herself as Naelli Garrison from CPS. I felt relieved that Theo and I got here first so we were not walking into an empty house with CPS waiting. Naelli was professional but not cold.