Chapter 1 - THE CARD THEY CAME TO TAKE
My mother’s eyes stayed on Clara for too long.
Not with tenderness.
Not with wonder.
Calculation.
That frightened me more than Brielle’s anger.
Diane lowered her voice. “Natalie, give Brielle the card.”
I stared at her.
“What card?”
“The black one.”
My stomach tightened.
Grant and I had one high-limit business card connected to the dry-cleaning shop. We used it for equipment repairs, quarterly supply orders, and emergencies.
Nobody in my family was supposed to know its limit.
“How do you know about that card?”
Brielle folded her arms.
“Mom knows everything.”
“No, she doesn’t.”
Diane’s expression hardened.
“Your husband told us you keep it in your wallet.”
That didn’t sound right.
Grant barely tolerated Brielle.
He certainly wouldn’t discuss our finances with her.
“My wallet is at home.”
Brielle smiled.
“No, it isn’t.”
She reached into her cream handbag.
Then she pulled out my wallet.
For several seconds, I couldn’t speak.
“How did you get that?”
“You left it at the shop.”
“No.”
I remembered exactly where I had put it.
Inside the diaper bag before Grant drove me to the hospital.
The diaper bag Grant had gone home to retrieve.
My mother stepped closer.
“Stop creating drama. We only need the card temporarily.”
“You went through my belongings?”
“You’re family,” Diane said, as though that explained theft.
Brielle opened my wallet.
The black business card was missing.
She looked irritated.
“Where is it?”
“I don’t know.”
That was true.
Grant must have removed it.
Brielle stepped toward the bed.
“Then call him.”
“No.”
“Natalie.”
“No.”
Her face changed.
She reached for my phone charger on the side table and yanked the cord free.
“Fine. I’ll call him myself.”
I sat straighter despite the pain.
“Put that down.”
Brielle moved closer.
Too close.
Clara stirred.
I raised my voice.
“Back away from my baby.”
Diane caught Brielle’s arm.
For one second, I thought she was stopping her.
Then my mother looked directly at me.
“If you won’t help your sister willingly, maybe we need to discuss what happens to Clara when you go home.”
My blood went cold.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Diane smiled.
May you like
And then she said something no grandmother should ever say.
“You really think the hospital is sending that baby home with you?”
