Chapter 3
I didn’t sleep at all that night.
I lay in bed beside Ryan, my body rigid, listening to him breathe.
Every time he moved, I tensed.
At five in the morning, I got up and went to Noah’s room.
He was still asleep, curled into a little ball.
I sat on the edge of his bed and watched him.
He was so small.
So trusting.
He thought his mom and dad were just having a fight.
He had no idea his father had been planning to ship him three states away.
I brushed the hair off his forehead.
“I won’t let him hurt you,” I whispered.
Noah stirred and opened his eyes.
“Mommy?”
“Good morning, baby.”
He sat up and looked around, like he was making sure he was still in his own room.
“Is Dad still mad?”
I forced a smile.
“Dad and I are going to work things out. But I need you to be brave for me today, okay?”
He nodded.
“Okay.”
I helped him get dressed and made his favorite pancakes.
But I could barely eat.
Every time the front door creaked, I jumped.
Ryan came down at seven, dressed for work in his suit and tie.
He looked like the perfect husband.
He kissed the top of Noah’s head.
“Morning, champ. Ready for school?”
Noah stared at his plate.
“Sure.”
Ryan looked at me.
“I made us an appointment with a marriage counselor. Three o’clock today. Right after I pick up Noah from school.”
I froze.
“You’re picking him up?”
“Is that a problem?” His voice was casual, but his eyes were sharp. “I pick him up every Wednesday.”
It was true.
He did.
But after last night, the thought of Noah alone with him made my blood run cold.
“I can get him,” I said. “I’ll leave work early.”
“Emily, we agreed we’re fixing things. Part of that is letting me be a father to my son without you hovering.”
Noah looked between us.
“I can ride with Dad,” he said quietly. “It’s okay.”
I wanted to scream that it wasn’t okay.
But I didn’t want to scare him more.
“Fine,” I said. “Three o’clock counseling. I’ll meet you there.”
Ryan smiled and grabbed his briefcase.
“See you then. Love you.”
He walked out the door.
The second he was gone, I pulled out my phone.
I called my sister, Sarah.
She answered on the first ring.
“Em? It’s six in the morning. Is everything okay?”
“No,” I said, my voice breaking. “Nothing is okay. Ryan tried to send Noah to Tennessee last night. He forged my signature on custody papers. And I found divorce papers in his office. He’s been planning this for months.”
There was silence on the other end.
Then Sarah said, “I’m leaving my house right now. Do you want me to come get Noah and keep him today?”
“I can’t take him out of school. Ryan will know something’s wrong. But I need you at the counselor’s office at three. And Sarah… I need a lawyer. A really good one who fights dirty.”
“On it. I know exactly who to call. Her name is Maria Gonzalez. She’s a shark. I’ll text you her number.”
“Thank you.”
“Emily? Whatever happens, I’m with you. And we are not letting that son of a bitch take Noah.”
I hung up and took a deep breath.
I dropped Noah at school, then went to work on autopilot.
I couldn’t focus on anything.
Every time my phone buzzed, I checked it, terrified it was Ryan saying he’d changed his mind.
At two-thirty, I left work early and drove to the counselor’s office.
Sarah was already there, pacing in the parking lot.
She hugged me tight when I got out of the car.
“Maria called me back. She can meet us tomorrow morning at nine. She says bring everything. The forged paper, the divorce drafts, everything.”
“Thank you.”
We went inside and sat in the waiting room.
At three o’clock exactly, the door opened.
Ryan walked in.
Alone.
Noah wasn’t with him.
My heart stopped.
“Where is he?” I stood up so fast my chair scraped the floor.
Ryan looked surprised.
“Where’s who?”
“Noah. Our son. The one you were supposed to pick up.”
“Oh.” Ryan smiled casually. “My mom flew in last night. She’s been wanting to see him. I thought it would be nice if they spent the afternoon together.”
The room started spinning.
Sarah grabbed my arm to hold me up.
“Your mom is in town?” I whispered.
“Yep. Got in around two. She’s at the house with him right now. I figured after last night, some grandma time would be good for everyone.”
I stared at him.
He’d planned this.
All of it.
The counselor appointment was just a distraction to get me out of the house while his mother moved in.
And if his mother was already here…
The Tennessee plan wasn’t off the table.
It was already in motion.
“You brought her here without telling me?”
“I told you we were fixing things,” Ryan said. “Family support is part of that. You should be happy. Linda adores Noah.”
The receptionist called our names.
Ryan started walking toward the counselor’s office.
“Coming?” he asked over his shoulder.
I looked at Sarah.
Her eyes were wide with fear.
“Go,” she whispered. “Play along. I’ll go to the house right now. I won’t let them take him anywhere.”
I nodded and followed Ryan into the office.
The counselor was a woman in her fifties with gray hair and kind eyes.
She had no idea she was walking into a war.
“Hello, Emily. Hello, Ryan. I’m Dr. Henderson. Why don’t we start by each of you telling me what brought you here today.”
Ryan spoke first.
He was perfect.
He talked about how much he loved me.
How worried he was about our marriage.
How he wanted nothing more than to make our family whole again.
He mentioned that I’d been “struggling” lately.
That I’d been distant.
That I’d been “self-medicating” with alcohol.
He didn’t yell.
He didn’t accuse.
He just sounded like a loving, concerned husband who was trying his best.
And I realized with horror that he was performing.
Every word was calculated.
If this session ended up in court, the notes would make me look like the problem.
When it was my turn, I didn’t know what to say.
If I told her about the forged papers, about the divorce plans, he’d just deny it.
He’d say I was making things up because I was unstable.
And I’d walked right into his trap.
So I said nothing.
I just nodded and agreed that yes, I’d been distant.
Yes, I’d made mistakes.
Yes, I wanted to fix things too.
Dr. Henderson smiled.
“This is a wonderful start. Two people who still love each other and want to work through their problems. That’s half the battle.”
She gave us some homework and scheduled another appointment for next week.
We walked out together.
Ryan put his hand on my back.
It felt like a snake.
“See?” he said quietly. “That wasn’t so bad. Now let’s go home and see Noah and my mom. Family dinner. Just like old times.”
I pulled my phone out of my pocket under the table.
I’d texted Sarah five times during the session.
No answer.
As we walked to the car, my phone buzzed.
It was a text from Sarah.
May you like
Three words that made my blood turn to ice.
THEY’RE GONE.
