The voice she used when something frightened her enough that she wanted everyone close.
For one second, I wanted to give in.
I wanted my mother to come over, sit at my kitchen table and tell me she was sorry.
I wanted my father to admit he had panicked.
I wanted Brooke to understand what she had done without being forced to understand it.
Most of all, I wanted Emma to still have the family I thought she had before Sophie’s birthday.
Wanting something does not make it true.
“You won’t be seeing Emma for now,” I said.
My father exhaled sharply.
“Ryan.”
“No unsupervised visits. No picking her up. No surprise visits. And neither of you will carry messages from Brooke to her.”
My mother started crying harder.
I hated hearing it.
I did not change my answer.
Over the next several days, the child protection worker stayed in contact with me while the information from the hospital, my statement, the messages and the recording were documented.
