as a no-nonsense woman in her fifties with sharp eyes and a calming presence. I explained the situation, my

ove. It means nothing legally, of course. It just means she's scared and she's a bully. We'll

h no income; I was a man taking control of his life. We went over the next steps, and I signed a new set of

fee and sat at a small table by the window, watching the people walk by. The simple act of sitting alone, with no one to care for, no schedule to keep, felt like an unimaginable l

I steeled myself as I pulled into the driveway. The house was quiet. Sophia's ca

our bedroom. The moment I open

r the floor. The books from my nightstand were scattered, some with their pages torn.

ered. I knew instantly who had done this. It wasn't ju

. I walked slowly out of the bedroom and looked down the stairs.

doing here?" I ask

a smug look on his face. "She said

sked, gesturing back t

sneered, her arms cross

ther," Lucas add

p over me. It was the cold, hard acceptance that the children I had raised, the little boy whose scraped knees I had bandaged, the little gir

e mess, grabbing a duffel bag and stuffing it with the few things that were stil

g?" Lucas demanded

wer. I just

. "I'm talking to yo

the duffel bag, trying to pull it

I said, my voice

tation of his mother's. I tried to pull the bag back, and he lost his balance.

slammed against the sharp corner of the wooden dresser. A blinding flash of white light exploded behind my

I heard Mia shriek. Then,

n here? My God, Luc

ldn't obey. I could feel something wet an

y, her phone pressed to her ear. She was looking

fear, but I knew was calculated performance. "He came back and started trashin

more. The spinning in my head intensified. The edges of my vision went dark. The last