Nina laid out the annex pages on Jessa’s blanket. “Explain this column,” she said, pointing. Jessa leaned closer. “This is where they balance ghost headcounts,” she said. “When one child leaves for real, they do not close the record. They move the number into an ‘extended’ slot and attach another name later.”
“So sometimes,” Nina said carefully, “the system keeps getting money for a child who has left, or does not exist there anymore.” Jessa nodded. “And sometimes, like with the twins, it keeps the child without ever letting the file move. Either way, the total stays smooth. No bumps. No sudden drops.”