At approximately 1:52 a.m., I received a call from Claire Mercer. Her voice was distressed, breathless, and consistent with active labor. She stated her water had broken and her husband was unavailable. Upon arrival, I found her in visible pain, unable to safely transport herself. I drove her to Northwestern Memorial. During labor, she repeatedly attempted to contact Ryan Mercer with no response. At no point did I observe behavior suggesting infidelity, deception, or instability. I observed a woman in medical crisis abandoned by her spouse.
A woman in medical crisis abandoned by her spouse.
I set the paper down and cried over that sentence for reasons I could not explain at first.
Then I understood.
For days, Ryan had tried to turn me into a woman on trial.
Eli had described me as a woman in danger.
There is a difference.
Ryan’s first supervised visit with Lily happened when she was eleven days old.
