Chapter 3 - THE BRUISE
Mia’s pediatrician saw her that evening.
Redness on cheek.
Small bruise near upper arm.
No head injury.
No dehydration.
No other trauma.
The doctor asked:
“Did Grandma hit you?”
Mia nodded.
Paula looked away.
Andrew did not.
He watched every expression.
Then the pediatrician asked:
“Did anyone tell you what to say?”
Mia frowned.
“No.”
Good.
A mandated report followed.
Child protective services did not remove Mia from her parents.
There was no allegation against them.
But investigators documented Linda’s care arrangement and the locked-room incident.
Linda returned from her trip two days later.
Not home.
To a lawyer.
Attorney Lauren Pierce sent Andrew and Paula a letter.
It requested:
no destruction of home security footage,
preservation of text messages,
no defamatory statements about Linda,
and reasonable contact between Linda and Mia pending resolution.
Paula read it twice.
“She wants contact?”
Andrew looked sick.
Rachel Sloan, their family-law attorney, read the letter and said:
“She wants leverage.”
“Over what?”
Rachel looked at Andrew.
“When did your mother start worrying you’d move?”
He frowned.
Then remembered.
Three months earlier, Paula had received a job offer in Boston.
Not accepted.
Not rejected.
The position paid more and came with relocation support.
Linda had hated the idea.
“You can’t take Mia away from her family.”
Paula had answered:
May you like
“We haven’t decided anything.”
Apparently Linda had.
