Chapter 2 - The Ambush
David pulled the door open, keeping his body positioned between the officers and the interior of our home.
"Can I help you, officers?" he asked, his voice low and steady.
The taller officer stepped forward, shining a flashlight briefly into our foyer.
"We received a call requesting an emergency wellness check on a minor child residing at this address," the officer stated.
My mother stepped out from behind them, wearing a perfectly pressed trench coat and a look of deep, fake concern.
"Natalie, darling, I had to bring them," she said, her voice shaking with manufactured emotion.
"I was just so worried about little Lena after the terrible state you were in earlier today."
My blood ran completely cold.
She was trying to build a documented police record of me being an unstable mother.
"My daughter is asleep, and she is perfectly fine," I told the officers firmly.
"My mother is retaliating against me because I cut off her financial support an hour ago."
The officers exchanged a tired look, clearly recognizing a toxic family dispute when they saw one.
"Ma'am, we just need to lay eyes on the child to confirm her safety, and then we will be on our way," the second officer said gently.
David led one of the officers upstairs while my mother tried to follow them.
I stepped into her path, blocking her from taking a single step into my home.
"You are not welcome here," I whispered, my voice dripping with absolute venom.
She smiled, a tiny, wicked curling of her lips that the remaining police officer couldn't see.
"You can't keep her, Natalie," she whispered back.
"A child with her background will ruin the family reputation, and I won't allow it."
David and the officer came back downstairs a minute later.
"The child is sleeping soundly, there are no issues here," the officer reported to his partner.
They apologized for the late intrusion and escorted my furious mother back to her car.
I locked the deadbolt, feeling a wave of exhaustion hit me so hard my knees almost buckled.
David wrapped his arms around me, whispering that we would call our lawyer first thing in the morning.
I went into my home office to grab the fireproof lockbox where we kept Lena's adoption paperwork.
I entered the combination and popped the lid open, needing the comfort of seeing those legal documents.
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My heart completely stopped.
The thick manila envelope containing Lena's final adoption decree was gone.
