The Judge’s Gentle Approach
The judge understood the weight of the moment. He could see Olive’s discomfort, her answers clipped, guarded. Recognizing she needed a change in tone, he softened, leaning in with a more approachable stance. He reassured her gently, stressing that she wasn’t in trouble, that this was her chance to speak freely about her life with the Quinns.
The shift in his tone caught Olive off guard. No one had given her this kind of space before. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to share, but the judge’s calm invitation gave her a moment to breathe, a chance to rethink what she truly felt.
