Chapter 5 - I Believe You
There must be a misunderstanding.
Grant would never hurt her.
Lily has always been dramatic.
Think about his career.
Think about the family.
Sarah blocked every number.
Then she called a locksmith.
Then a lawyer.
Then Lily’s school.
Then her own sister, who came to the hospital with clean clothes and cried in the parking lot before entering because she did not want Lily to see adult panic.
Grant’s arrest did happen.
Not in the ultrasound room.
Not dramatically.
He was charged after the medical evidence, Lily’s first statement, and the officer reports were reviewed.
But the legal system moved slower than Sarah’s guilt.
That arrived immediately.
It sat beside her bed.
Followed her into the bathroom.
Waited in the hospital cafeteria.
Whispered during the night:
You missed it.
You explained it away.
You told her Grant was trying.
You told her to be respectful.
You told her to give him a chance.
On the second night, Lily woke from anesthesia after a procedure to control the bleeding.
She opened her eyes and whispered, “Is he mad?”
Sarah took her hand.
“He can be mad wherever he is. He is not here.”
Lily blinked slowly.
“Will he come home?”
“No.”
“What if he says sorry?”
“No.”
“What if he says I ruined everything?”
Sarah’s voice shook.
“Then he’ll be wrong from somewhere else.”
Lily stared at her for a long time.
Then whispered, “You believe me?”
Sarah pressed Lily’s hand to her forehead.
“Yes.”
“Even if I don’t remember every time?”
“Yes.”
“Even if I lied before?”
Sarah cried then.
“Yes.”
Lily closed her eyes.
May you like
That answer did not heal her.
But it let her sleep.
