Chapter 6 - NOAH ASKED WHY I DIDN’T LOVE HIM ANYMORE
Daniel read the screenshot.
His face lost color.
“Lauren sent you that.”
“Yes.”
“She cropped the conversation.”
“Does the missing part change your sentence?”
“No.”
“Then don’t start there.”
He looked away.
Emily’s voice stayed quiet.
“You knew MedCore mattered.”
“I was angry.”
“When did you send it?”
“Friday.”
“After I told you I had the report?”
“Yes.”
“And when your mother said I had refused babysitting?”
“Yes.”
He looked at her.
“I didn’t literally want you to lose the account.”
“You wrote that it might not be the worst thing.”
“I was venting.”
“To the people creating the problem.”
Daniel stood.
“I’m not doing this if every private text becomes sworn testimony.”
Emily almost laughed.
“Private.”
“What?”
“You discussed my career with your mother and sister. Then they acted on it.”
“I said I was angry.”
“Why?”
“Because you canceled dinner Thursday for MedCore.”
“I moved dinner to eight.”
“Exactly.”
Emily stared.
“That’s what this is?”
“No.”
His voice rose.
“That’s one thing.”
“Then name the rest.”
Daniel walked to the window.
“I’m tired of always fitting around your work.”
There.
Better.
“I’m tired of hearing January.”
Better.
“I’m tired of Mom asking if we’re ever having kids and not knowing what to say.”
Worse.
Emily’s face changed.
“You discuss our fertility plans with your mother.”
“She asks.”
“That does not require an answer.”
“You’re making everything sound dirty.”
“No.”
Emily shook her head.
“I’m making private things sound private.”
Daniel looked exhausted.
“I thought marriage meant less separation.”
“It means partnership.”
“Same thing.”
“No.”
She stood.
“Partnership still has two people.”
The next morning, Daniel went to work.
Emily called Katherine Wells.
“I need a family lawyer.”
A pause.
“Divorce?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then what?”
“I need to understand the condo, accounts, and what separation would look like if I choose it.”
“That’s enough.”
No drama.
Information.
By noon Emily had a consultation scheduled.
At 12:43, her phone rang from an unknown number.
She almost ignored it.
Then answered.
“Aunt Emily?”
Noah.
Her stomach tightened.
“Hey, buddy.”
“Are you mad?”
“Why?”
“At me.”
“No.”
The answer came instantly.
“Never.”
He was quiet.
Then:
“Uncle Daniel said you don’t want us at your house anymore.”
Emily closed her eyes.
“Where are you?”
“Grandma’s.”
“Is Grandma there?”
“She’s showering.”
“Where’s your mom?”
“Work.”
Of course.
“Noah, I need you to hear me.”
“Okay.”
“I like having you and Lily visit when the grown-ups make a plan together.”
“So you do like us.”
“Very much.”
“Then why did Mom say you gave us away?”
Emily’s throat tightened.
“I didn’t.”
“Dad said you called him.”
“Yes.”
“Because Mom left?”
“Yes.”
“Was she bad?”
There it was.
The danger of adults turning legal disputes into morality plays for children.
“Your mom made a grown-up decision I disagreed with.”
“Is she losing us?”
“Noah.”
“I heard Grandma.”
Emily sat.
“What did she say?”
“That Dad is trying to take us because you helped.”
“No.”
Emily kept her voice firm.
“No one is taking you.”
“But if we live with Dad more—”
“You still have a mom.”
Silence.
“And a dad.”
“Yeah.”
“You do not have to choose which one is good.”
His breathing slowed.
“Okay.”
A door opened in the background.
Margaret’s voice:
“Noah?”
He whispered:
“I have to go.”
“Give the phone to Grandma.”
“No.”
The line disconnected.
Emily stared.
Then called Daniel.
He answered.
“What?”
“Did you tell Noah I don’t want them here?”
Silence.
“Daniel.”
“I said you weren’t babysitting anymore.”
“To a seven-year-old.”
“He asked why everything changed.”
“And you answered by making me the reason.”
“I didn’t mean it that way.”
“Did you tell him I didn’t want them here?”
“I may have said you don’t want surprise visits.”
“That is not what he heard.”
Daniel exhaled.
“Talk to Mom.”
“I’m talking to my husband.”
“He’s with Mom.”
“And you told him.”
“Emily, I’m at work.”
“So am I.”
That stopped him.
She continued.
“You do not use those children to explain our marriage.”
“I didn’t.”
“You already did.”
She hung up.
Then she did something she had resisted for three days.
She texted Lauren.
Noah called me from Margaret’s. He believes I “gave them away” and may be the reason Aaron gets more parenting time. Please keep adult custody conflict away from the children. I told him I care about him and Lily and that none of this is their fault.
Lauren responded twenty minutes later.
He called you?
Yes.
Lauren:
Mom is going to kill me.
Emily:
That is not the issue.
Lauren:
I know.
Then something unexpected.
Lauren:
Thank you for not telling him I’m a terrible mother.
Emily stared.
She typed:
I don’t think you are a terrible mother.
Three dots appeared.
Stopped.
Returned.
Lauren:
Could’ve fooled me.
Emily:
I think you made a terrible decision Saturday.
Lauren:
Same difference when you’re the one in court.
That sentence sounded less arrogant.
More frightened.
Emily waited.
Then Lauren sent:
Aaron works 24-hour shifts. He gets four days off after. The schedule makes me feel like I’m losing them every time they’re gone.
Emily read it.
That was not a legal argument.
It was a mother’s fear.
Lauren:
When they’re at his place they love it. Bigger yard. Dog. His mom helps. I know this sounds pathetic.
Emily:
It sounds human.
Lauren:
Mom says if I give him more days now, he’ll keep asking until I’m every-other-weekend.
Emily:
What does Aaron say?
Lauren:
He says he wants equal time.
Emily:
That isn’t every-other-weekend.
No response.
Twenty minutes later:
I know.
Emily put down the phone.
For the first time, Lauren existed outside the role of entitled sister-in-law.
Still responsible.
Still wrong.
Afraid.
That evening Daniel came home late.
Emily was on the sofa reading.
He stood beside the door.
“Noah called you.”
“Yes.”
“Mom told me.”
“Did you correct what he thinks?”
“Yes.”
She looked up.
“What did you say?”
“That you love him.”
“And?”
“That Saturday wasn’t his fault.”
“And?”
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
“That I shouldn’t have told him you didn’t want surprise visits.”
Good.
Then:
“Thank you.”
He almost smiled.
It vanished when Emily continued.
“I’m meeting a family lawyer Friday.”
His face changed.
“For what?”
“To understand my options.”
“Divorce.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You don’t meet divorce lawyers because things are great.”
“No.”
He stared at her.
“So that’s it?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re ending our marriage because of one bad decision.”
Emily closed the book.
“No.”
May you like
She looked at him.
“I’m trying to find out how many decisions I called ‘one bad decision’ because I loved you.”
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