Chapter 6 - HIS MOTHER CALLED
Derek’s mother called on a Sunday morning.
I had not spoken to her since leaving Columbus.
Her name was Patricia.
She and I had never been close.
She loved Derek fiercely and defended him automatically.
For years, I had mistaken that loyalty for normal maternal affection.
Now I understood it was something more dangerous.
She left three voicemails.
The first sounded worried.
The second sounded irritated.
The third sounded angry.
I finally listened while Rachel made coffee.
“You have humiliated my son long enough.”
Patricia’s voice filled the kitchen.
“Whatever marital disagreement you two had should never have involved lawyers.”
Rachel raised one eyebrow.
The voicemail continued.
“Derek is devastated.”
I almost laughed.
“He hasn’t slept.”
Rachel mouthed, Good.
“He loves you.”
I stopped smiling.
“And he deserves to see his child.”
The message ended.
Then another arrived almost immediately.
This time Patricia’s tone was colder.
“You need to understand something.”
“Courts do not look kindly on mothers who run away with babies.”
Rachel grabbed my phone.
“She’s trying to scare you.”
I knew.
But it worked.
Fear crawled through me anyway.
What if the judge eventually believed Derek?
What if leaving Columbus was used against me?
What if having no home of my own made me look irresponsible?
What if Derek’s money mattered more than my reasons?
Laura called later that day.
I repeated Patricia’s messages.
“Do not engage.”
“What if they say I’m keeping Emily away?”
“We follow the temporary arrangement.”
“What if he asks for more?”
“Then he asks through counsel.”
Her voice softened.
“You do not have to solve every future problem today.”
That evening, Derek requested a video call.
The court arrangement allowed brief virtual contact while Emily was so young.
Rachel sat nearby.
I answered.
Derek appeared on screen inside our Columbus living room.
Behind him, everything looked exactly the same.
The ivory sofa.
The framed wedding photograph.
The lamp I had bought after we moved in.
For one irrational second, homesickness hit me.
Then Derek said my name.
“You look tired.”
I almost smiled.
“I have a newborn.”
His eyes dropped toward Emily.
“Let me see her.”
I adjusted the camera.
Emily was asleep.
His face changed.
I could not tell whether the emotion was genuine.
Maybe part of it was.
People were rarely monsters every second.
That had been one of the hardest things to understand about Derek.
He could be cruel and still bring me soup when I was sick.
He could insult my job and still buy me flowers.
He could control every dollar while telling everyone I was spoiled.
Contradictions had kept me confused for years.
“She looks like me,” he said.
“She looks like herself.”
His eyes lifted.
“When are you coming home?”
“This call is about Emily.”
“I’m asking my wife a question.”
I said nothing.
His jaw tightened.
“You’re living in Rachel’s spare bedroom.”
I froze.
“How do you know that?”
He smiled faintly.
“You think I don’t know my own sister-in-law’s house?”
Rachel moved closer.
Derek saw her.
“Of course.”
He laughed.
“There she is.”
“Keep the call about Emily,” Rachel said.
“This is none of your business.”
“It became my business when my sister arrived in labor because you gave her taxi money.”
His face turned red.
“That is not what happened.”
Rachel leaned toward the screen.
“That is exactly what happened.”
I ended the call.
My hands were trembling.
A minute later, Derek texted.
You just violated my parenting time.
Laura disagreed.
The court order specifically stated that calls had to remain child-focused.
Still, the incident taught me something.
Derek did not want access only to Emily.
May you like
He wanted access to me.
And every boundary I created made him more determined to break it.
