Oh. Okay. So Isabella should probably return to school while Sadde waits.

Yep.

Sadde gets goodbyed very thoroughly and instructed to ping her through Alex or text her any time, and then Isabella gets back on a train.

And Sadde goes with her to the train station to spend as much time as they can together and then it's back to Renée's place.

She waits for Tobias to be notified about what's going on and the inevitable terribleness that will follow with some trepidation.

The court is obliged to notify him pretty promptly.

So he probably already knows about it, great. Is there anything she needs to actually do other than wait for her hearing?

Except for occasional updates with the lawyer Renée found her, nope.

Oh, good, so she can keep mooching. Which is kinda terrible.

And after a few days Tobias calls Renée's.

Renée's back at work this time of year!

And is Alex not at home then?

Alex is a high school student!

So Sadde supposes he'll pick up the phone.

...right. Okay. He'll. Yeah. Okay. Mmhm. He'll just. Call Isabella. When she's not in class.

"Hello?"

"Hi, ma'am. How're you?"

"I'm all right, pet, how are you?"

"...hard to answer. My father called. He wants to talk to me, face-to-face."

"Well, that sounds like a terrible idea."

"Does it? I dunno."

"What would possibly come of it?"

"He gives up, tells me how disappointed he is in me, says he'll sign whatever?"

"Meeting in person isn't necessary for that."

"It is for him. He's all about the drama, it's where I got it from, and would want to rub it in that he's letting me win, or something."

"I just don't want to give him any more chances to hurt you, pet."

"I won't say I'm inured to him, he's pretty good at figuring out what to say to bring people down or lift them up, it's why people like him so much as a preacher, but... Between curiosity and the possibility that it's a white flag..."

"At least meet him somewhere public - maybe bring Alex along -"

"He asked to see me without anyone else, but he suggested a public place for it..."