Chapter 6
Diane was arrested three days later.
The police came to her house with a warrant for child endangerment.
Ryan called me, his voice shaking.
"They took her, Emily. They actually arrested her."
I sat down, suddenly feeling lightheaded.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"I don't know," he said. "Part of me feels terrible. She's my mother. But another part... another part feels like justice is finally being served. For Noah. For you."
I thought about Diane.
The woman who had made my life a living hell for weeks. Who had hurt my baby. Who had tried to steal him from me.
I should have felt happy. Vindicated.
But mostly I just felt tired.
"She'll probably get bail," I said.
"Probably," Ryan agreed. "But Sarah called me. She said the DA is taking this seriously. The evidence is strong. Your sister's testimony, the doctor's report, the voice recorder... it's not looking good for her."
I nodded, even though he couldn't see me.
"Good."
"Emily," he said. "I want to see you. And Noah. Not to pressure you. Just... I need to see my son."
I thought about it.
"Tomorrow," I said. "At Claire's. During the day. And you stay for an hour. That's it."
"Thank you," he said, relief flooding his voice. "Thank you so much."
The next day, Ryan showed up with coffee and a bag of Noah's favorite things—his favorite blanket, a stuffed bear he liked, some new onesies he'd bought.
He held Noah like he was made of glass.
"Hey, buddy," he whispered, tears in his eyes. "Daddy's so sorry. Daddy's going to make everything better, I promise."
Noah blinked up at him, then gave a little gurgle and grabbed Ryan's finger.
I watched them, my heart aching.
This was what I'd wanted. A family. A husband who loved his son.
But the road to get here had been paved with so much pain.
After an hour, Ryan handed Noah back to me.
"He's getting so big," he said, his voice thick.
"I know," I said.
"Emily," he said, looking at me seriously. "I've been going to therapy. Twice a week. My therapist says I have codependency issues with my mother. That I've spent my whole life trying to please her, even when it hurts the people I love."
I nodded. I'd suspected as much.
"I'm learning to set boundaries," he continued. "I told Mom I won't be posting her bail. That I won't be testifying on her behalf. That what she did was wrong, and she needs to take responsibility for it."
I stared at him.
That was huge.
"She must have been furious," I said.
He gave a bitter laugh.
"You have no idea. She called me every name in the book. Said I was a terrible son. That she'd disown me. But... it felt good, Emily. For the first time in my life, I stood up to her. And it felt good."
I saw something different in his eyes then.
Strength.
The man I'd fallen in love with was starting to resurface.
"That's good, Ryan," I said. "I'm proud of you."
He looked surprised, like he hadn't expected those words.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
He left a little while later, promising to call and check in.
Claire came out from the kitchen where she'd been giving us space.
"So," she said, raising an eyebrow. "What do you think?"
"I think he's trying," I said. "And that's more than he was doing a week ago."
"But?"
"But I'm still scared," I admitted. "What if this is just temporary? What if he falls back into old patterns? I can't go through this again, Claire. Not for me. And especially not for Noah."
She sat down beside me, putting an arm around my shoulders.
"Then you take it slow," she said. "You don't have to make any decisions right now. Just see how it goes. Trust your gut. And if he messes up, you walk away. No second chances after this."
I nodded, resting my head on her shoulder.
"You're the best sister in the world, you know that?"
"I know," she said, grinning. "But feel free to keep telling me."
That evening, I got a call from an unknown number.
I answered cautiously.
"Emily?"
It was Diane.
My blood ran cold.
"How did you get this number?"
"I have my ways," she said, her voice cold and angry. "You think you've won? You think you can destroy my family and get away with it?"
"You hurt my son," I said, my voice steady despite the fear rising in my chest. "You're the one who destroyed this family."
"Ryan will come back to me," she said. "He's my son. He always comes back. And when he does, you'll be sorry you ever crossed me."
"Ryan told me what he said to you," I said. "He's not posting your bail. He's not defending you. He's finally standing up to you."
Diane laughed, a harsh, bitter sound.
"He's weak. He'll cave. He always does. And when he does, I'll make sure you never see that baby again."
"I have evidence, Diane," I said. "Witnesses. Your own voice on a recorder planning to take my son. You're going to lose."
"We'll see," she said. "We'll see who loses in the end."
She hung up.
I sat there, my phone still in my hand, my heart racing.
Diane wasn't going down without a fight.
And if she was willing to throw a newborn baby on the floor, I had no idea what else she was capable of.
May you like
I needed to be ready.
For anything.
