Chapter 5 - THE FAMILY GROUP CHAT
The clearest evidence did not come from tea.
It came from messages.
Melissa’s phone contained a family group chat from which Anna, Nathan, and I had been excluded.
Judith.
Melissa.
Our aunt Pauline.
Two cousins.
Most messages were gossip.
Then Ruby was born.
Judith:
Anna won’t let me do anything with MY granddaughter.
Melissa:
She acts like you’re dangerous.
Judith:
She’s unstable after the surgery. Nathan is too weak to admit it.
Three days later:
If we can get Ruby with me for even a month, Nathan will see how much calmer everything is.
Melissa:
Anna will never agree.
Judith:
She doesn’t have to agree with everything. She’s not thinking clearly.
Another message:
We need paperwork if we take her across state lines.
Then Melissa:
I found templates.
My skin went cold.
There was the authorization.
Then, the night before I walked into the nursery:
Judith:
Tomorrow. Anna will sleep. Nathan has calls until noon.
Melissa:
What about the monitor?
Judith:
Take it off.
That was enough to destroy every argument about a misunderstanding.
They had planned to remove the monitor.
They had planned to separate Ruby from Anna.
How far they expected to get remained a legal question.
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But the plan existed.
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