Chapter 6 - Lily's Other Family
Lily's maternal grandparents lived forty minutes away.
Thomas and Elaine Monroe.
Claire's parents.
Daniel had not spoken to them in almost a year.
That shocked Rachel.
She knew the relationship was strained.
Not severed.
Daniel explained.
After he married Rachel, the Monroes stopped visiting.
They said Lily was "confused."
Margaret blamed them.
The Monroes blamed Margaret.
Daniel withdrew from everyone.
Convenient again.
Sophie recognized Thomas from an old photograph.
He was the man at the mall.
Daniel called him.
Thomas answered on the first ring.
"About time."
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"Did you meet my mother at Lakeside Mall in December?"
Silence.
Then:
"Yes."
"Why?"
"To discuss Lily."
"Without me."
"Margaret said you refused."
"I never knew."
Thomas swore quietly.
Margaret had been meeting the Monroes for months.
Telling them Rachel was pushing Claire out of Lily's life.
Telling them Daniel was allowing Sophie to bully Lily.
Sending them audio clips.
The same edited recordings.
Rachel felt sick.
"What did she want from you?" Daniel asked.
Thomas hesitated.
"She wanted us to confront you together."
"About what?"
"Ending the marriage."
There it was.
Not custody.
Not money.
A campaign.
Margaret believed if Daniel's late wife's parents joined her, he would interpret their agreement as proof.
Thomas did not.
He distrusted Rachel from the clips but refused to demand divorce.
Then Margaret changed tactics.
She told them Daniel was keeping Lily away.
Thomas admitted they responded badly.
They sent angry messages.
Daniel blocked them.
Margaret got exactly what she needed.
More isolation.
Rachel listened from Julia's kitchen.
Every relationship Margaret touched became evidence for the next relationship.
Sophie and Lily.
Daniel and the Monroes.
Rachel and Daniel.
Rachel and Sophie.
Daniel asked, "Why didn't you call me another way?"
Thomas replied, "Why didn't you call us?"
Fair.
Silence.
Then Elaine came on.
"Daniel, did your mother tell you Claire asked us to stay away if you remarried?"
Daniel froze.
"What?"
Rachel closed her eyes.
Of course.
Margaret had told each side the dead woman wanted separation.
Claire could no longer correct anyone.
Elaine said, "She told us Claire said Lily should never call another woman family."
Daniel sat down.
"Claire never said that to me."
"Margaret said she told her privately."
Rachel thought of the hospital sentence.
Don't let Lily lose me.
A plea turned into policy.
After the call, Daniel drove to Rachel's sister's house.
Rachel met him outside.
"No girls."
"They're watching a movie."
He nodded.
Then leaned against his car.
"My mother has been using Claire as an invisible witness for three years."
Rachel said, "And you let her."
Daniel looked at her.
"I didn't know."
"You let her be the authority on Claire."
That hurt.
True.
He looked away.
"I was relieved someone else knew what Claire would have wanted."
Rachel's anger softened without disappearing.
"Because you didn't know."
"No."
Daniel's eyes filled.
"I was twenty-nine. Lily was a baby. Claire was dead. My mother sounded certain."
Certainty.
Rachel had started to hate the word.
Then Daniel said, "Thomas sent me something."
A screenshot.
A text from Margaret after the mall meeting.
SOPHIE IS USEFUL. SHE PROTECTS LILY WHEN IT COUNTS. BUT IF RACHEL STAYS, THAT ATTACHMENT WILL MAKE IT HARDER TO SEPARATE THEM.
Rachel stared.
Sophie useful.
Attachment a problem.
Children reduced to obstacles.
Then a second message.
BIRTHDAY INCIDENT SHOULD CHANGE DANIEL'S MIND IF WE GET THE RIGHT REACTION FROM RACHEL.
Rachel looked up.
"The birthday incident."
Daniel nodded.
"My mother wasn't planning to embarrass Sophie."
"What then?"
Daniel showed her the next line.
REPLACEMENT RABBIT READY. RECORD ORIGINAL BEING DESTROYED. RACHEL WILL LOSE CONTROL.
Rachel stopped breathing.
Margaret had planned to destroy Bunny in front of Sophie.
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