Chapter 3
By morning, Elise had three people assigned to her case who did not work for Augusto Serrano.
A family-law attorney.
A hospital social worker.
And an independent domestic-violence advocate.
Augusto did not select the advocate.
That mattered to Elise.
Her attorney, Jennifer Walsh, explained the immediate options.
Elise could request a temporary protective order.
She could restrict Travis from the hospital.
She could establish temporary parenting arrangements once the baby was discharged.
She could also choose none of those things yet.
Nobody would force a decision while she was recovering from surgery.
Travis arrived before noon.
He was not permitted past security.
Instead, he sent messages.
At first apologetic.
I should have taken you seriously.
Then:
Mom got carried away.
Then:
You know how she is.
Then:
Please don’t let your father turn this into something it isn’t.
Elise showed the messages to Jennifer.
Augusto was standing near the window.
He did not comment.
Jennifer did.
“What does he think this is?”
Elise stared at the phone.
“A fight with his mother.”
“Is that what you think?”
“No.”
That answer came faster than Elise expected.
She read the messages again.
Something bothered her.
Every apology positioned Travis beside her.
As though he had merely failed to stop Millicent.
But Travis had blocked the doorway himself.
He had heard Elise say the baby stopped moving.
And he had stayed there.
That was the first clue Elise could no longer ignore.
Her husband’s favorite defense was that his mother was difficult.
His mother had made the rule.
His mother had taken the phone.
His mother had insisted on dinner.
His mother had become upset.
Yet whenever Millicent enforced those rules, Travis somehow happened to be standing exactly where Elise could not get around him.
That afternoon Dr. Warren visited.
The doctor looked relieved to see both Elise and the baby stable.
Then she asked:
“Why did you cancel Tuesday?”
Elise stared at her.
“You canceled me.”
Julia frowned.
“No.”
The room became very quiet.
“My husband said your office called.”
“We didn’t.”
Elise looked at Jennifer.
Julia continued.
“Our records show the appointment was canceled through your patient portal.”
“I didn’t cancel it.”
“Do you share your portal password?”
Elise’s answer came slowly.
“Travis set it up for me.”
Augusto turned toward the window.
He did that because if he looked at anyone, he might forget the promise he had made to his daughter about handling this legally.
Julia pulled up the record.
The appointment cancellation had been submitted at 1:07 p.m. Tuesday.
The message attached to it read:
May you like
Symptoms improved. Patient prefers to monitor at home.
Elise had never written those words.
