It’s said that the truth will set you free. I hope that’s at least somewhat accurate because I’ve carried this story with me for far too long. My tale is mostly true, with some edits to dates and names to ensure privacy, and with dialogue reconstructed from memory. Even after all these decades, some would still remember what happened that year, especially those events which occurred after the conclusion of part two of our...

After the holiday, the office returned to normal, except for Lisa and me. She kept herself busy but avoided me as much as she could. When we did speak, it was only about business stuff, and our lunches together were now ancient history. I felt terrible but had no idea how to repair the damage between us. I wanted her desperately, but what was the point? Any kind of relationship with her was doomed the moment her parents f...

When I first decided to tell the story of ‘The Office Intern’, I had hoped the truth would have provided some freedom from the misery which ensued after Lisa started her senior year of high school. Admittedly, recalling that summer, with all the hope and possibilities we believed existed, was a sort of panacea. Reminding me of a magical time when two people existed just to love each other. But telling the story also reope...

The next morning, I combed the phone book and selected several attorneys' names who specialized in child social services cases. I was able to get an appointment with one the next day and when we met her, we laid out the main points of our sad tale. She seemed very sympathetic and assured us that with my stable home life and job and my ability to help care for Lisa, there should be no issues getting Amy back. She told us h...