Chapter 9 - THEY WERE PREPARING FOR US
The attorney's invoice carried Lauren's name.
The payment came from Emma's education account.
I stared at the date.
Three weeks before Christmas.
"Why would Lauren hire a family lawyer?" I asked.
James answered carefully.
"Maybe she expected trouble."
"From what?"
We learned the answer that evening.
Dad came to our house alone.
He looked ten years older than he had on Christmas night.
James met him at the door.
"Is Margaret with you?"
"No."
Dad held up a manila envelope.
"I found this in Lauren's old room."
Inside were printed screenshots of messages between Mom and Lauren.
Most were ordinary family complaints.
Then we reached the messages from early December.
Lauren: Claire is going to cut us off from the baby eventually.
Mom: Don't start.
Lauren: James will make her. He's controlling.
Mom: He adores that child.
Lauren: Exactly. If something happens, they'll blame me.
Mom: Then don't give them a reason.
Lauren: I need to know my rights if they try to keep Emma away from us.
There it was.
Dad pointed to a later message.
Mom had written:
I can help with the lawyer. Use the education account temporarily. Claire doesn't know about it yet.
I looked at Dad.
"You found this tonight?"
He nodded.
"I went through the printer tray and Lauren's room after your mother left."
"Left where?"
"I don't know."
My phone buzzed.
A text from Mom.
I'm outside. Please let me see my granddaughter.
James checked the front camera.
Mom stood at the bottom of our porch steps in the snow.
Alone.
Her coat was open.
She looked wrecked.
I did not open the door.
Instead, I spoke through the camera.
"Go home, Mom."
She looked up toward the lens.
"Claire, please."
"You stole from Emma. You hid what happened to her. You helped Lauren hire a lawyer against us."
"I was trying to keep this family together."
"No. You were trying to keep control."
She started crying.
"I made mistakes."
"Then make one good decision and leave."
For several seconds she stood there in the falling snow.
Then headlights swept across the driveway.
A car pulled up behind her.
Lauren stepped out.
She was holding a phone and filming.
"Perfect," she called. "Now everyone gets to see how you treat your own mother."
James moved toward the door.
I caught his arm.
"No."
Lauren pointed the camera at our house.
May you like
Then she shouted something I never expected.
"Tell Claire whose idea the slap was, Mom!"
