Chapter 2 - The Lie They Told a Judge
I handed Emma to James because my arms had started shaking too badly to trust them.
He took her carefully, tucking her against his chest. She calmed almost immediately at the sound of his voice.
“Hey, Bug,” he whispered. “Daddy’s got you.”
Then he looked at my parents.
“Start talking.”
My mother folded her arms.
“This is private family business.”
James laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“You lost the right to call violence against children private.”
Lauren yanked open the door.
Dad moved faster than I expected and shut it again.
“Robert!” Mom snapped.
“No.” Dad’s hand stayed on the door. “No more.”
Lauren stared at him.
“You promised me.”
Dad flinched.
That was enough.
I felt something inside me crack.
“What did you promise her?”
Nobody answered.
I called Ryan.
He picked up on the first ring.
“Is Emma okay?”
The concern in his voice was immediate.
“She will be,” I said. “Tell me about the picture.”
Lauren lunged toward me.
“Hang up.”
James stepped between us.
She stopped so abruptly her shoes slid against the hardwood.
Ryan heard the commotion.
“She’s there?”
“Yes.”
“Put me on speaker.”
I did.
For a second, all we heard was Ryan breathing.
Then he said, “Caleb was five. Lauren got angry because he spilled orange juice on her laptop. She grabbed him by the arm, dragged him into the hallway, and shoved him hard enough that he hit the wall.”
Lauren screamed, “That is not what happened!”
Ryan didn’t raise his voice.
“I came home ten minutes later. He was vomiting.”
My aunt covered her mouth.
Ryan continued.
“The ER reported the bruising. Child services got involved. I filed for temporary custody.”
I looked at my parents.
“And then?”
Ryan went quiet.
“Your mother testified that Caleb had fallen off a scooter at her house earlier that day.”
I couldn’t breathe.
My mother rushed forward.
“He had fallen!”
Ryan’s voice sharpened.
“Two weeks earlier.”
Dad sat down hard.
Mom glared at him.
I whispered, “You lied under oath.”
“I protected my daughter.”
“No. You protected Lauren.”
“She was going through a divorce!”
“And Caleb was going through a wall.”
The words came from James.
Mom stared at him with open hatred.
“You don’t understand what this family has been through.”
James shifted Emma higher against his shoulder.
“I understand exactly what your granddaughter went through ten minutes ago.”
Lauren grabbed one of the wine bottles she had brought and slammed it onto the console table.
“You all want a villain? Fine. Make me the villain.”
She turned to me.
“But before you start acting holy, ask Mom why she begged me to come tonight.”
My mother’s face changed.
Lauren smiled.
There it was again.
That ugly little smile.
I looked at Mom.
“Why did you beg her to come?”
“She’s your sister.”
“That’s not an answer.”
Lauren crossed her arms.
“Tell her.”
“Lauren, shut up.”
“Tell her why everybody had to be at the same table.”
My father stood.
“What are you talking about?”
Lauren laughed.
“Wow. She didn’t even tell you?”
Mom’s voice shook.
“Enough.”
Lauren reached into her purse and pulled out a thick white envelope.
She tossed it onto the dining table.
It slid through spilled gravy and stopped beside my empty chair.
My name was printed across the front.
Not handwritten.
Typed.
I opened it.
Inside were loan documents.
At the bottom of the first page was a yellow sticker marking a signature line.
My signature line.
James looked over my shoulder.
“What is this?”
Lauren leaned against the door.
May you like
“The real reason for Thanksgiving.”
