Her voice softened immediately. “Do you want me to come get you? The car is sorted now.”
“Yes,” I told her. “I’ll pack what we need.”
“Are you leaving him?” she asked gently.
Mason was sitting in the living room watching television without a care in the world. “No,” I answered clearly. “I’m trying to heal.”
That was the very first time I had stated my boundary without apologizing for it.
An hour later, Mom held the boys in her quiet living room while I finished loading my car. Mason came out of the garage just as I zipped the main diaper bag shut.
“Where are you going?” he asked, looking surprised.
“Mom’s,” I said simply.
“With Liam and Noah?” he asked.
“Yes.”
His face changed instantly. “For how long?”
“I don’t know,” I replied.
“Brianna, you can’t just walk out,” he insisted, coming closer.
