Vanessa had written: Look what you did.
I stared at the words for a long time.
Then I typed back: Your children got sick because the food was bad. My children were humiliated because you are cruel. Those are two different things.
She answered immediately.
You abandoned us.
I looked into the living room. Noah and Lily were sitting under one blanket, sharing the cookies from Rosie’s Kitchen. Lily gave Noah the larger one without being asked.
No, I typed. I chose my kids.
I muted the conversation.
The First Safe Morning
The next morning, I called my manager and asked to switch to the early shift instead of the afternoon one. I needed to be home when the kids got out of school.
Then I called the pediatrician, not because my children were physically ill, but because I needed advice. The nurse listened quietly while I explained what had happened.
