Chapter 6: What Brenda Was Willing to Do
I read the message twice.
Then I took the phone from Brian's hand and read it a third time.
"Emergency guardianship," I said.
"Samantha—"
"She is trying to take Rosie."
"I know what it says."
"Brian." I set the phone down on the edge of the bed, carefully, because my hands wanted to do something else entirely.
"Your mother caused the injury that put our daughter in this hospital.
And now she is asking a court to give her custody of that same daughter."
"Gerald Holt is fishing.
He's trying to pressure you into the settlement."
"Maybe.
But if he files, a judge has to respond.
That takes time we don't have." I stood up.
"I need to make a call."
I stepped into the hallway and called my sister, Dana.
She answered on the second ring.
"How is she?" Dana said immediately.
"Stable.
But I need a lawyer.
Today.
Not tomorrow.
Today."
A pause.
"What happened?"
I told her about Gerald Holt's message.
Dana was quiet for exactly three seconds.
"My friend Karen handles family law.
She's good.
I'll call her right now and have her call you within the hour."
"Thank you."
"Samantha." Dana's voice dropped.
"Are you okay?"
I looked through the window at Rosie's bed.
At Brian sitting beside it with his head in his hands.
"Not yet," I said.
"But I will be."
Karen Stills called me forty minutes later.
I walked her through everything — the footage, the arrest, the settlement offer, and the guardianship threat.
She listened without interrupting, which I appreciated.
"The guardianship filing is a pressure tactic," she said when I finished.
"But that doesn't mean we ignore it.
I'm going to file a protective order today that establishes you as sole decision-maker for Rosie's medical care and blocks any third-party custody claim while the criminal case is active.
That shuts the door before Holt can get his foot in it."
"Can you do that today?"
"I'm already drafting it.
I need you to send me the police report number and Dr.
Wright's contact information."
I had both.
I sent them while she was still on the line.
"One more thing," Karen said.
"Brian.
Is he with you or against you?"
I thought about the phone he had turned to show me.
The way he had let Gerald Holt's call ring out the night before.
"I don't know yet," I said honestly.
"Find out.
It matters."
I went back to Rosie's room.
Brian was still in the same chair.
He hadn't moved.
"I've retained a family law attorney," I said.
"She's filing a protective order today to block the guardianship claim."
Brian nodded slowly.
"Good."
"Brian.
Karen asked me something and I need to ask you the same thing." I sat down.
"Are you going to stand beside me through this, or are you going to stand beside your mother?"
He looked at me for a long time.
"I let Gerald Holt's call ring," he said.
"I saw that."
"I didn't know about the guardianship when I did it.
But I still let it ring." He leaned forward.
"I know what my mother did.
I saw the footage.
Officer Daniels showed me last night after they took her." His voice was unsteady.
"She stood there and watched you.
And then she walked toward you.
And I keep trying to find another explanation and there isn't one."
"No," I said.
"There isn't."
"I'm not going to stand beside her." He looked at Rosie.
"I'm going to stand beside her."
It wasn't forgiveness.
It wasn't the end of everything that had broken between us.
But it was the first true thing he had said in two days, and I let it count for what it was.
My phone rang.
Karen Stills.
"The protective order is filed," she said.
"Judge has it.
We should have a response within two hours.
And Samantha — I just spoke with the DA's office.
They want to meet with you this afternoon.
They've seen the footage and the medical report.
They're upgrading the charges."
"To what?"
"Aggravated @ssault on a child under the age of one," Karen said.
"And they're adding criminal intent based on the pre-approach footage.
Brenda Albright is not getting a quiet settlement.
This is going to trial."
I looked at the window.
May you like
At Rosie's small chest rising and falling.
"Good," I said.
