Chapter 6: A Casserole Visit
"What do you mean?"
"You have a neighbor who witnessed her locking you out of your own property while you were a postpartum patient.
You have a locksmith she hired who can confirm the timeline.
You have the hospital discharge papers showing the date.
What she did has a name, and it isn't a civil matter."
I sat with that.
"I don't want to involve the police."
"I understand.
But she doesn't need to know that yet."
---
I didn't tell Daniel about the call with Patricia right away.
I needed to think.
I needed a few days of quiet with my daughter and my husband before the next wave came.
It came sooner than I expected.
Diane showed up at the house on a Saturday morning.
Daniel was at the hardware store.
I was in the kitchen feeding the baby when I heard the knock.
I looked through the window before I opened the door.
She was carrying a casserole dish.
I opened the door.
"I thought I'd bring something for the baby," she said.
Her voice was different.
Softer.
She was looking at my daughter the way grandmothers look at newborns — with something genuine that I didn't want to acknowledge because it made everything more complicated.
"Daniel isn't here," I said.
"I know.
I came to speak to you."
I stepped back and let her in.
May you like
I didn't offer tea.
I sat down at the kitchen table with the baby in my arms and waited.
