Chapter 3 - The Perfect Grandmother Goes to War
Emma was admitted before noon.
Doctors found that the physical strain and stress had aggravated her recovery, and while she did not require another emergency procedure, they insisted she remain under observation.
Daniel sat beside her hospital bed holding Oliver while Emma slept.
Natalie sat near the window.
For nearly an hour, neither sibling spoke about Vivian.
Finally, Daniel asked the question he had been afraid to ask.
“What did you mean when you said she used to do the same thing to you?”
Natalie stared out the window.
“Do you remember when I moved out at nineteen?”
“Yeah.”
“You remember why?”
Daniel hesitated.
“You and Mom fought constantly.”
Natalie gave a humorless laugh.
“That's what she told everyone.”
Daniel said nothing.
Natalie folded her hands.
“When Dad started traveling for work, Mom got worse. She controlled what I ate. She opened my mail. She called my friends' parents and told them I was unstable. Once, she hid my car keys for three days because I refused to cancel a date she didn't approve of.”
Daniel swallowed.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I did.”
Daniel looked at her.
Natalie's eyes filled.
“You didn't believe me.”
The words landed harder than any accusation shouted in anger.
Memories began returning.
Natalie calling him at college.
Natalie complaining that Mom was “acting crazy.”
Daniel telling her to stop provoking their mother.
Daniel saying, “You know how Mom is.”
He closed his eyes.
“Oh God.”
“You were twenty-one,” Natalie said. “You weren't cruel. You just saw the version of her she wanted you to see.”
“That doesn't make it better.”
“No. But it explains it.”
Natalie pulled out her phone.
“She'll already be working on the story.”
“What story?”
“The one where she's the victim.”
Daniel looked at her.
Natalie opened Facebook.
Vivian had posted eleven minutes earlier.
A photograph showed Oliver sleeping in her arms from several days before.
The caption read:
Sometimes loving your family means enduring heartbreaking disrespect in silence. Please keep my son, daughter-in-law, and precious grandson in your prayers.
Daniel stared.
More than fifty comments had already appeared.
Thinking of you, Vivian.
You are such a wonderful mother.
I hope they appreciate everything you've done.
Daniel felt something inside him turn to stone.
Natalie looked at him.
“Told you.”
But Vivian had made one serious mistake.
She assumed Daniel would protect the family's image.
He would not.
Not anymore.
May you like
And this time, he had receipts.
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