19KATHERINE HAD FELT sick from the time she and her family had left that room in the municipal building until now when she woke up. She wasn’t even aware of the time; the hearing had finished at noontime and she, Dennis and Phirun immediately left. She and Dennis decided to stay another day in town to wait for the decision on the preliminary hearing. Mrs. Reyes said the deliberation might not take too long, and might come out in favor of the children. The social worker had saved Katherine and her family from further media attention. She and the lawyers had organized a press conference so Katherine and her family could make a backdoor exit without being noticed. One of the members of Mrs. Reyes’s staff had helped find this local hotel for them. Dennis then took Phirun to get a taste of the
