Chapter 2 - The First Skirmish
By the end of the first week, a fragile sense of peace had settled over my small suburban home. The children were beginning to realize that noises didn't equal punishments, and that hunger wasn't a weapon used to control them. Zoe had stopped hoarding food under her pillow after I showed her that the pantry was always unlocked, and Tyler had actually laughed out loud when we accidentally burned a batch of chocolate chip cookies.
But the peace was shattered on Friday evening when my phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. The caller ID displayed a picture of Rebecca, wearing oversized designer sunglasses on a yacht.
I answered, bracing myself. "Rebecca."
"Sabrina, thank God," her voice came through, loud and sharp, completely devoid of any maternal warmth or inquiry about her children's well-being. "Listen, I need you to do me a massive favor. My flight out of Male gets into O'Hare on Tuesday, but Richard and I are extending our trip. We're flying straight to Aspen for a ski week. I need you to keep the kids for another ten days."
She said it so casually, as if she were asking me to keep a library book past its due date.
"No," I said flatly.
There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. "What did you just say?"
"I said no, Rebecca. You can't just abandon your children for an extra ten days because you want to go skiing. They aren't luggage."
"How dare you!" Rebecca shrieked, her voice instantly turning venomous. "I am paying your mortgage this month, Sabrina! You don't get to tell me no. You don't even have a real career—you work from home doing graphic design. You have nothing but time! You should be grateful I trust you with my children."
"Trust me?" I laughed, a bitter, cold sound. "You didn't leave them with me out of trust. You left them because you couldn't find a nanny willing to tolerate your psychotic outbursts, and Richard was too busy escaping you to care. I know what’s been happening in that house, Rebecca. I found Emma’s diary."
The silence on the line was sudden and heavy. For a moment, only the distant sound of ocean waves could be heard. When Rebecca spoke again, her voice had dropped the spoiled-brat whine, replaced by a cold, calculating malice that sent a shiver down my spine.
"You opened my daughter's private belongings? You pathetic, jealous bitch. You've been waiting for a reason to tear me down since we were kids. You're broke, you're single, and you're living in a house the size of my garage. If you think anyone is going to believe a word that comes out of your mouth, or the scribbles of a dramatic eight-year-old, you're dumber than I thought."
"I have photos of the bruising on Zoe's wrists from where you dragged her," I lied, bluffing to see how she would react. "And I have Tyler's testimony about being locked in the closet without food."
"You don't have shit," Rebecca snarled. "And even if you did, Richard's firm employs the best family lawyers in the state of Illinois. If you try to interfere with my family, Sabrina, I will ruin you. I will sue you for kidnapping. I will have the police at your door before my plane even lands. You return those kids to my house on Tuesday morning, or I will make sure you spend the next five years in a women's correctional facility."
The line went dead.
I stood in the kitchen, my hands shaking so violently I nearly dropped the phone. The sheer arrogance of her threat was terrifying, mostly because I knew she wasn't entirely wrong. Richard was a powerful man with deep pockets, and the legal system favored wealthy biological parents over a single aunt with a modest income.
I looked into the living room. Tyler and Zoe were building a fortress out of couch cushions, while Emma sat on the floor, holding her half-eared stuffed rabbit, her eyes fixed on me. She had heard the shouting. She knew her mother was coming back.
The terrified look on Emma's face solidified something inside me. The fear was gone, replaced by a cold, unyielding resolve.
"Aunt Sabrina?" Emma whispered, her voice trembling. "Is Mommy mad at you now?"
May you like
I walked into the living room, sat down on the floor beside her, and pulled all three of them into my arms.
"Your mommy is angry," I said quietly, looking into Emma's eyes. "But she's not going to hurt you anymore. I promise you, Emma. I am going to fight for you. No matter what it takes."
