Chapter 31
Danielle
We have movie night tonight, just us girls. Tina has the night off, Jo and Beth came over, and Hannah is staying with me while Cal is in New York on business.
We order Chinese food for dinner, because no movie night is complete without it. The smell of sesame chicken, fried rice, and spring rolls fills the air as I open each container.
“We should do this more often,” Tina says, glancing around the room. “Who needs fancy restaurants when you have Chinese takeout and a movie?”
“Right?” I say, catching Beth’s eye. “Who needs anything else?”
I glance around the room, and find everyone staring at me. “The only entertainment Beth and I had when we were in foster care, besides a few toys and each other, was the movie Home Alone on DVD.”
“It’s still one of my favorites,” Beth says.
“Our parents gave us the movie for Christmas the year before the accident,” I continue. “Before everything changed. Watching it with Beth was a source of comfort, something special we shared no matter where we were. A movie and a bowl of ramen noodles.”
“Is that why you force me to watch it with you every holiday?” Tina chimes in, shooting me a knowing smile. “We’ve watched it so many times over the years, I know every single word by heart.”
After dinner, we all settle on the couch to watch Frozen. Popcorn in hand, easy conversation flowing, and laughter echoing around the room, the night feels perfect.
Tina slouches into the oversized chair next to the couch, a bowl of popcorn in her lap. “You know, Frozen isn’t exactly a holiday movie.”
Hannah, sitting on the floor in front of the couch, doesn’t miss a beat. “It is, too! Elsa is the best! She has powers, and she can make ice castles!” Her little hands mimic the icy magic, which makes me burst out laughing.
Later, after the food is gone and the movie has ended, we all snuggle in for a lazy, laid-back night. Jo and Tina talk about a new movie they want to see, while Beth tells me all about the boy she has a crush on.
Hannah is curled up next to me on the couch, fast asleep, her small breaths steady and peaceful.
Despite the lighthearted chatter around me, a heavy unease settles in my chest, the same feeling that’s been gnawing at me ever since Cal told me about the custody battle ahead.
The very thought of losing this little girl is suffocating, especially because a part of me feels responsible.
Meghan wouldn’t be doing this if I wasn’t in the picture.
Beth leans over, nudging me with her elbow. “So, do you think I should tell him I like him? I mean, he already told me he likes me.”
I shoot her a teasing smile. “Well, he’s been honest with you. I know it might be a little nerve-wracking, but it’s your turn.”
She rolls her eyes, flopping back onto the couch dramatically. “Ugh, I knew you’d say that!”
Before I can respond, Tina’s voice breaks in. “Elle, are you okay? You’ve been kind of quiet.”
I blink, my attention snapping back to the present. “It's nothing.”
Tina’s eyes soften. “I know you, and I can tell something’s been weighing on you.”
I glance down at Hannah, still curled up against me, and let out a slow breath. “I just... I don’t know what to do. Meghan’s trying to take her, Tina.”
Jo turns, her tone reassuring. “Cal and Sylvie aren’t going to let that happen.”
“I can't get over the fact that Meghan hired a full-time nanny," I say, my voice low. "Her name is Gabby, and she told Hannah she’d be taking her to school every day. It’s like Meghan is setting the stage to have full custody.”
Tina’s face hardens, the playful spark from before vanishing. “That’s some nerve. She’s hardly been a real mom for Hannah, and now she wants to come in and rip her away from Cal?”
Beth, who has been quiet until now, pipes up, her expression serious. “Can she do that? Can she just take her away from him?”
“She can file for a modification of custody,” Jo says, rubbing her temples, as if trying to clear the fog in her mind. “She’d have to prove some kind of change in circumstances. Or that she’s better able to provide for her. We all know neither is true.”
Jo’s eyes soften, and she reaches over to squeeze my hand. “Cal is not fighting this alone, Elle. He has all of us.”
Tina leans forward, her elbows on her knees, her gaze sharp. “You can count on me, too. We’re all in this together, no matter what Meghan tries.”
I nod, taking in the familiar warmth of their presence. “Thanks. But I can’t help but wonder… what if this all ends up in a courtroom?”
Jo gives me a small smile, her eyes full of determination. “Then we fight. All of us. Because we're not losing Hannah. Not now, not ever.”
I smile, grateful for everyone’s confidence. “You’re all right. We fight with everything we have.”
As we sink back into the couch, the conversation drifts to lighter topics, but a weight settles in my chest. The battle I couldn’t fight for my sister, the one I was too young to win, now looms in front of me again.
But this time, it’s for the little girl I’ve come to love as my own.
And unlike before, I’m not just ready to fight—I’m prepared to win.
***
Beth stands at the head of her bed, fluffing the throw pillows with her usual precision. The soft rustling of fabric fills the quiet room as she arranges them just so, like she’s creating some sort of perfect little world in her space. I watch her for a moment, leaning against the doorframe.
I smile to myself, lost in the familiar rhythm of her actions.
It takes me back to the last night we spent together, before we were torn apart.
She was just a toddler, still small enough to fit in my arms, but even then, she had that perfectionist streak.
I remember how she used to line up her stuffed animals on the bed.
She only had three, but no matter where we were placed by the system, or where we spent our nights, she arranged her plush toys with such focus, making sure they were just right.
Beth turns, catching my gaze, and grins. “You look like you're miles away. What does Tina call it? A brown study?"
I blink, a little embarrassed for getting lost in my thoughts. "Do you remember the stuffed animals you had when you were little? You used to prop them on your bed every morning. Before we got separated."
She looks at me and smiles. "Of course I do!" she exclaims. "I still have them."
"No way!" I say, in complete disbelief.
"The day Mom and Dad brought me home, Nate, Seth, and Thomas were there waiting for me. They each handed me one of my toys. The smallest one is Stripey, the tiger. Then there's Honeypot, the bear, and the soft sloth is Slowpoke."
"You named them?" I ask, holding back a chuckle.
"The boys helped," she says with a grin. "You know, I found out years later that Cal had made the arrangements to have all our things collected from Jamie and Duke's house."
I think back to the day Meghan walked into my room at the group home and handed me a tote bag with all my belongings. There wasn’t much, but it was my stuff.
"You're lucky," she'd said. "Someone cared enough to collect your things and bring them to you."
"I never knew it had been Cal," I say, just as I hear Hannah step out of the guest room down the hall.
"Elle?" she murmurs, rubbing an eye with her fist. "Can we watch cartoons?"
"Of course we can," I say, already scooping her into my arms. "Did you sleep okay?"
"I slept like a princess," she says, a sleepy grin spreading across her face.
"Of course you did," Beth teases, reaching over to tickle Hannah, her giggles filling the room.
***
I place the platter of blueberry waffles on the table, next to the fluffy scrambled eggs and crispy bacon. After pouring myself a steaming cup of coffee, I fill a cup with milk for Hannah and pour orange juice for Beth.
"Yummy!" Hannah exclaims, her face lighting up. "I love waffles!"
"I know you do," I say, taking a sip of my coffee. "They're your dad's favorite too."
"Can you teach Mommy how to make me breakfast?" she asks, her eyes wide and full of hope.
Beth glances at me, her fork halfway to her mouth, before she takes a bite of eggs without saying a word.
I can’t help myself. "Does your mommy cook for you?" I ask, knowing I might regret the question the moment it leaves my lips.
Hannah looks up at the ceiling, as if she’s trying to remember something that doesn’t quite exist. "Nope!" she declares, her mouth full of waffles. "Daddy cooks, Grandma cooks, Uncle Thomas cooks, Mommy does not cook."
Beth’s giggle bursts out just as she takes a drink of juice, causing some to squirt from her lips before she can stop it. She quickly grabs a napkin, wipes her mouth, and throws her head back in laughter.
"What about Gabby?" I ask, my tone hopeful.
"I forgot about Gabby," Hannah murmurs. "Gabby made me pancakes, French toast, and an egg with veggies in the middle."
"An omelet?" Beth asks, still trying to catch her breath from laughing.
"Yes, an omelet," Hannah repeats. "I like those too!"
The loud ring of the doorbell cuts through our conversation, abrupt and unexpected, like an uninvited guest.
Beth and I exchange a puzzled glance, both wondering who would be showing up this early on a Saturday morning.
"I’ll get it," Beth offers, already heading toward the door.
"Where’s Hannah?!" Meghan’s voice cuts through the air, sharp and angry.
"Mommy!" Hannah calls out, her voice sweet and cheerful as she recognizes her mom. "I’m eating waffles and eggs. Want some?"
"Hi, Hannah Banana," Meghan says, her tone shifting instantly to calm and measured as she steps inside. "Bethy, why don’t you take Hannah and help her pack an overnight bag? I’m taking her home with me."
"Hannah is spending the weekend with me," I say, holding Meghan’s stare, unblinking.
"Cal isn’t here," Meghan replies, as though his absence is some sort of crime. "Go ahead, Beth. Now."