Chương 7
Sophie watched her.
“You told me crying makes your nose ugly.”
Rachel turned toward the window.
Emily laughed once and cried harder.
“Apparently I’ve given you excellent emotional guidance.”
Sophie climbed onto the edge of the chair beside the bed.
Emily held out her hand again.
This time Sophie took it.
They stayed like that without talking.
It might have become a tender moment if a dietary aide had not entered carrying a tray and said cheerfully, “Turkey sandwich?”
Rachel stared at her.
The aide froze.
“Bad time?”
Emily laughed painfully.
“Yes.”
“Sorry.”
“No. Leave the sandwich.”
The woman set it down and fled.
Sophie looked at the sandwich.
“Can I have the chips?”
Emily nodded.
Sophie ate them while holding her mother’s hand.
Two days later, the story became complicated.
That happened when Emily was strong enough to speak with police.
She told them Mark had not attacked her.
She said she had called him.
She said she had asked him to come.
She said she had refused the hospital because she was afraid child protective services would take Sophie if anyone learned she had delivered the twins at home without medical care.
She said Mark had begged her to call an ambulance.
She said he left only after she ordered him out.
She said she broke her own phone after he left.
She said Sophie had misunderstood.
Detective Lena Morales listened without interrupting.
Nora sat in the corner.
Rachel stood by the window with both arms crossed.
When Emily finished, Morales said, “You understand we can verify some of this.”
“Yes.”
“Phone records.”
“Yes.”
“Building cameras.”
Emily swallowed.
“Yes.”
“Hospital footage.”
“Yes.”
Morales glanced at her notes.
“You called Mr. Miller eleven times yesterday morning.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I was scared.”
“You have a protective order against him.”
Emily’s eyes moved toward Rachel.
“I know.”
“You obtained that order eight months ago.”
“Yes.”
“And still called him.”
“Yes.”
“Why not your sister?”
Emily looked at Rachel again.
Rachel’s face was rigid.
“She lives two hours away.”
“Why not 911?”
“I told you.”
“You were afraid of CPS.”
“Yes.”
“You were experiencing heavy postpartum bleeding.”
“I didn’t know how bad it was.”
“You had delivered twins at home less than twenty-four hours earlier.”
Emily said nothing.
Morales waited.
Nora uncrossed one ankle from the other.
Outside the room, a cart rattled down the corridor.
Finally Emily said, “I was stupid.”
Morales’s tone remained neutral.
“That isn’t a legal category.”
Rachel made a sharp sound.
Emily looked at her.
“Stop.”
“No.”
“Rachel.”
“No. You don’t get to do this.”
Morales raised a hand.
“I can step out.”
Rachel shook her head.
“I’m done.”
She was not done.
She lasted four seconds.
“You called him instead of me.”
Emily stared at her.
“You called the man you got a restraining order against instead of your sister.”
“You live in Columbus.”
“I own a car.”
“You have work.”
“I would have left.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
Emily’s lower lip trembled.
“Because I didn’t want you to see.”
Rachel frowned.
“See what?”
“How bad it was.”
The room quieted.
Emily picked at the edge of the hospital blanket.
“My apartment. The bills. No food. The babies coming and nothing ready. I didn’t even have two car seats.”
Rachel sat down slowly.
“You could have told me.”
“I know.”
“You asked Mark.”
Emily looked away.
“He already knew I was a mess.”
That answer changed something.
Not enough to repair anything.
Enough to make the anger less simple.
Morales resumed.
“Did Mr. Miller ever touch you yesterday?”
“No.”
“Did he threaten you?”
“No.”
“Did he prevent you from calling for medical assistance?”
“No.”
“Did he damage your phone?”
“No.”
Rachel turned toward her sister.
Emily ignored her.
Morales closed her notebook.
“Okay.”
After the detective left, Rachel walked into the hallway without speaking.
Nora remained.
Emily looked at her.
“You think I’m lying.”
“I think my job gets harder when I decide what I think before I have information.”
Emily laughed weakly.
“That’s a social-worker answer.”
“Yes.”
“Are you taking Sophie?”
“We’re assessing safety.”
“So yes.”
“That isn’t what I said.”
“It’s what you meant.”
Nora stood.
“You almost died.”
Emily closed her eyes.
“I know.”
“Your seven-year-old moved two newborn infants several blocks by herself.”
“I know.”
“Whatever happened, your daughter was placed in a situation no seven-year-old should have been able to solve.”
Emily’s eyes opened.
“Do you think I don’t know that?”
“I think knowing it hurts.”
Emily stared at her.
Nora softened her voice.
“But pain and safety are different questions.”
After she left, Emily cried for the first time when Sophie was not there.
Daniel heard about her statement from Claire.
He was angry immediately.
“That’s a lie.”
Claire was entering medication orders.
“You don’t know that.”
“I saw Mark.”
“We both did.”
“He kicked the wheelbarrow.”
“Yes.”
“He said they were never supposed to get here.”
“Yes.”
“And now Emily says he begged her to call an ambulance?”
Claire looked at him.
“The fact that one thing is true does not make every other thing false.”
Daniel pulled a chair away from the desk and sat harder than necessary.
“You believe her?”
“I don’t know.”
“He was terrified when police arrived.”
“People are often terrified around police.”
“He knew the address.”
“He’s Sophie’s father.”
“He knew the door stuck.”
“He’s been there before.”
“During a protective order.”
“Maybe.”
Daniel rubbed his temple.
Claire stopped typing.
“This is exactly what I warned you about.”
“About wanting him simple.”
“Yes.”
“He kicked newborn babies.”
“I am not asking you to like him.”
“Good.”
“I’m asking you not to build the parts you don’t know.”
Daniel stared at the screen.
A moment later he said, “She left against medical advice three days earlier.”
“Yes.”
“Maybe she really was afraid of CPS.”
“Maybe.”
“And maybe she called the person she already knew would judge her less than her sister.”
Claire nodded.
“That would be human.”
May you like
Daniel hated that too.
Sophie’s formal interview happened the following afternoon.
