Chapter 3 - The First Night Home
Everything changed after that.
Not quickly enough for me.
But permanently.
Dr. Keller refused to examine Leo inside the mansion.
“He needs to feel safe first.”
I agreed.
Eleanor had already arranged temporary accommodations at a private residence owned by my company.
But I refused.
“I’m not taking him somewhere unfamiliar.”
Denton—
No.
There was no Denton in my life.
That thought almost made me laugh.
For two years, I had imagined returning to my husband.
Instead, I was leaving him before the first night home had even begun.
I carried nothing upstairs except Leo’s stuffed blanket.
When I approached him again, I did not try to lift him.
I simply sat on the floor.
Twenty minutes passed.
Nobody spoke.
Brooke had taken Liam upstairs.
Victoria remained in the dining room with Dominic.
Eleanor stood near the entrance.
Leo watched me.
Then slowly, painfully, he crawled from beneath the table.
He stopped three feet away.
I placed my palm flat on the floor between us.
“You don’t have to come closer.”
His eyes moved toward my hand.
Then toward my face.
“Mommy?”
The word was barely sound.
My chest collapsed inside me.
“Yes.”
He flinched when I started crying.
So I stopped immediately.
I smiled instead.
“Yes, baby.”
His hand moved.
One inch.
Then another.
His dirty fingers touched mine.
I did not grab him.
I waited.
He crawled into my lap by himself.
Then he buried his face against my chest.
His entire body started shaking.
I held him as gently as I could.
“I’m here.”
“I’m here.”
“I’m not leaving.”
Those were the only promises I made.
I carried him out of that house twenty minutes later.
Dominic tried to stop us.
“You’re not taking my son.”
Leo heard his voice.
His entire body stiffened.
That was enough for Eleanor.
She stepped between us.
“Mr. Sterling, we filed an emergency protective custody petition before entering this house.”
Dominic stared at her.
“You what?”
“The petition is based on evidence Clara had already collected regarding unexplained financial activity and communications concerning Leo.”
My head turned.
“What communications?”
Eleanor looked at me.
“We found them this morning.”
Dominic went pale.
I tightened my arms around Leo.
“What communications?”
Eleanor answered carefully.
“Messages between Dominic and a private behavioral facility.”
My stomach dropped.
“What kind of facility?”
She opened her phone.
The email subject line appeared.
May you like
LONG-TERM RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENT - LEO STERLING.
The proposed admission date was three days from now.
