Chapter 2 - WHAT DAD KNEW I turned around slowly.
Emma's cries had softened into tiny, broken sobs against my shoulder.
"What about Lauren and Emma?"
Dad rubbed his palms over his face.
He looked exhausted.
Mom shook her head.
"Robert."
He ignored her.
"Two months ago, Lauren babysat Emma here."
My stomach tightened.
"You told me Mom was with her."
"She was supposed to be."
"Supposed to be?"
Dad looked at the floor.
"Your mother went to the pharmacy. Lauren said she'd stay with Emma."
Mom pushed back from the table.
"Nothing happened."
I stared at her.
Dad continued.
"When I came home, Emma was upstairs."
"With Lauren?"
"No."
My heart stopped.
"She was alone."
The words seemed to echo through the room.
"What do you mean, alone?"
"She was in the guest room. Door closed."
I looked at Lauren.
She didn't appear ashamed.
She looked annoyed.
"She was fine."
"How long?"
Nobody answered.
"How long was my six-week-old daughter alone in a room?"
Dad swallowed.
"I don't know."
I looked at Mom.
"You knew?"
"Claire, your sister was overwhelmed."
"She left my newborn alone."
"For a little while."
James moved closer.
His anger was almost visible, but his voice remained controlled.
"Why wasn't Claire told?"
Mom snapped.
"Because you were deployed and Claire was already stressed. We were helping."
I almost laughed.
"Helping?"
I tightened my arms around Emma.
"You lied to me."
Lauren grabbed her purse.
"This family is insane."
She walked toward the foyer.
James stepped aside.
"Leave."
She stopped.
Then turned toward me.
"When Mom ends up in the hospital because of this, remember you caused it."
The door slammed behind her.
Emma whimpered.
That tiny sound made my decision for me.
"We're going."
Ten minutes later, we were driving through falling snow.
I sat in the back seat beside Emma.
James drove.
Neither of us spoke for several minutes.
Finally, I whispered:
"I should have seen it."
"No."
"I trusted them."
"So did I."
At urgent care, a pediatric doctor examined Emma.
Physically, she appeared okay.
But when I explained what had happened, the doctor's expression changed.
"Because an adult intentionally struck an infant, we need to document this carefully."
My heart hammered.
"Document it for what?"
Before she could answer, James's phone buzzed.
He looked at the screen.
His face hardened.
"Claire."
"What?"
"Your sister just posted something online."
He handed me his phone.
Lauren's post had already been shared dozens of times.
The first sentence read:
MY BROTHER-IN-LAW THREATENED ME AT CHRISTMAS BECAUSE I TRIED TO PROTECT HIS BABY.
May you like
I stared at the screen.
And realized the family war had just become public.
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