Chapter 9 - THEY WERE PREPARING FOR USDad came to our house that evening carrying a manila envelope.
Inside were printed messages between Mom and Lauren.
One message stopped me cold.
Lauren: Claire is going to cut us off from the baby eventually.
Mom: Don't start.
Lauren: James will make her.
Mom: He adores that child.
Lauren: Exactly. If something happens, they'll blame me.
Then another message.
Lauren: I need to know my rights if they try to keep Emma away from us.
Mom: I can help with the lawyer. Use the education account temporarily.
My hands went cold.
Mom had helped Lauren prepare for a custody-related fight before Christmas.
The slap hadn't been an isolated explosion.
It was part of a larger pattern.
That night, Mom came to our house.
She stood outside in falling snow.
"Claire, please let me see my granddaughter."
I spoke through the camera.
"Go home."
"I made mistakes."
"You stole from Emma."
"I was trying to keep this family together."
"No. You were trying to keep control."
Then headlights appeared.
Lauren stepped out.
She was holding a phone.
"Perfect," she called.
"Now everyone gets to see how you treat your own mother."
I wanted to open the door.
James stopped me.
Then Lauren shouted:
"Tell Claire whose idea the slap was, Mom!"
Mom turned toward her.
"What are you doing?"
Lauren's smile disappeared.
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And for the first time, I realized something.
Lauren hadn't expected Mom to stand against her.
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