Chapter Three #2
Lana smiled, the expression softening her professional demeanor. “Cash has always had a soft spot for kids in trouble, though he’d deny it if you mentioned it.”
I nodded, suddenly overwhelmed by the day’s events. “Ms. Thompson, I --”
“Lana,” she corrected again gently.
“Lana. I appreciate you coming, but I don’t understand what you can do. The system is already in motion. Ms. Winters is filing her report. They could take Lily away while they investigate, or, at the very least, keep me away from her while she’s here.”
“They could try,” Lana said, and something in her tone made me look up sharply. There was steel beneath her polished exterior. “But they’d have to get through me first. And trust me, I’m a lot harder to move than I look.”
For the first time since the social worker had walked into Lily’s room, I let myself breathe. Maybe, I finally had someone on my side.
I watched as Lana opened her sleek leather portfolio, the material gleaming softly under the lights.
She angled her body toward me, speaking in a low voice.
“I have connections at Vanderbilt University Hospital,” she began, flipping through documents in her portfolio.
“I’ve already got calls in to a couple of people who can find the best doctor to evaluate Lily.
Whoever I request will want to examine Lily and question you both.
I will not let them separate you, but he will likely want to hear about her accidents in her own words.
Don’t think it’s because anyone doubts you.
I’m not going to let anyone try to trap you or trick you. I am firmly on your side. OK?”
My breath caught in my throat. “Vanderbilt?” I whispered. “I tried to get a referral there last year, but our insurance denied it. Said it wasn’t medically necessary.” I looked at the stack of papers I’d given her earlier. “I’ve got the written denials at home.”
Lana’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Denials for uncommon tests aren’t uncommon. The system is designed to make you give up before you get answers.” I started to say I couldn’t pay out of pocket, she held up her hand. “Don’t worry about the cost. It’s all been taken care of.”
“But why?” I asked, needing to understand before I let hope take root. “Why would you do this for us?”
Lana’s gaze was steady, unblinking. “Because someone should have done it already.” She reached into her purse and withdrew two business cards.
Taking a pen from her portfolio, she wrote numbers on the backs of both cards before sliding them across the bedside table.
“This one is mine,” she said, tapping the first card.
“My direct line is on the back. I answer day or night.” She tapped the second card.
“This is Cash’s. I’ve written his cell number here.
” I stared at the cards, wondering how something so small could feel so significant.
“Call him first in emergencies,” Lana continued, her voice matter of fact.
“He can get anywhere in this city faster than I can.”
I picked up the cards reverently, aware they represented physical evidence someone believed me and was willing to fight alongside me.
“Tomorrow morning, I’ll file a formal response to Ms. Winters’ report,” Lana explained.
“I’ll request a medical continuance on any decisions regarding custody or placement until Lily can be properly evaluated.
I have enough pull with the judge assigned to family services cases, I’m reasonably sure I can make this happen. ”
“And if they try to take her before then?” The question haunting me since the social worker left slipped out before I could stop it.
Lana’s expression hardened slightly. “They won’t. I’ll make sure. But if someone tries to put you out of here for any reason, you call Cash, then you call me.”
The confidence in her voice was compelling, but doubt still gnawed at me. “How can you be so sure?”
“Because I know how to fight the system on its terms,” she replied. “And because I have resources most people don’t.” She hesitated, then added, “Which brings me to something else we should discuss. Have you heard of Haven? It’s officially called New Beginnings Women’s Shelter.”
I shook my head. “Cash mentioned the name, but didn’t go into details.”
“It’s a women’s shelter on the edge of town, protected by the same club Cash belongs to.”
“A motorcycle club,” I repeated, unable to keep the wariness from my voice. The news had run plenty of stories about outlaw bikers, none of them good. But honestly, this was the most compassion I’d been shown through this whole ordeal.
“I understand your hesitation,” Lana said. “But Haven is a legitimate shelter with trained staff. The club provides security and financial support. It’s a safe place for women and children who need protection.”
“And you think we need protection?” I glanced at Lily, the implications settling heavily on my shoulders.
“I think you need support,” Lana corrected gently. “Medical, legal, and emotional. Haven can provide all three. Plus, if things escalate with Ms. Winters and her department, having a secure place to stay might become important.”
I blinked, taking time to process what she’d just said. “Kind of sounds like you mean you’ll prevent her from taking Lily even against the law.”
Lana grinned at me. “It won’t come to that. But if it does and the guys truly don’t believe you’ve hurt Lily, then yeah. They’d prevent anyone from taking her from you.”
“But how --”
“It won’t come to that.” She cut me off with a smile and a gentle hand on top of my clenched ones.
“You need the support Haven has. Emotional and physical support. Please take them up on their offer of a place to stay. You’ll feel safer resting there and they have an excellent homeschooling system in place.
Lily can keep up with her studies in a very low impact environment. ”
I really thought I might cry. “You know,” I began, my voice trembling, “No one says nice things about motorcycle clubs or bikers in general, to say nothing of ex-convicts. But Cash showed us so much kindness, especially to Lily. And you’re clearly an educated, professional woman.
I’ll do whatever you think best. This is the most hope I’ve had since Ms. Winters came to talk to me today. ”
“Many of the guys in Kiss of Death are fathers themselves. Most of them adopted kids from the women they’re with now.
Knight, one of their members, has a biological daughter who had a kidney disorder and needed a transplant.
His former girlfriend found him and Knight donated a kidney to her.
” Lana replied with a smile. “He and Brynn are tight now. She adores him and he feels the same way. Brynn’s mother, Lavender, is the heart of their little family.
So all of them take the protection of women and children very seriously.
They also take family seriously. It’s a core principle of the club.
” Her expression softened slightly. “I wouldn’t suggest Haven if I didn’t believe it was absolutely safe for both you and Lily. ”
I nodded slowly, processing this unexpected turn.
When I’d woken up this morning, my biggest concern had been convincing Dr. Samson to order more tests.
Now I was contemplating accepting help from a motorcycle club with access to the specialized doctors I’d been trying to reach on my own with no results.
“You don’t have to decide anything right now,” Lana said, closing her portfolio and standing. “Take some time to think about it. In the meantime, I’ll start the legal work to counter Ms. Winters’ report and arrange for Lily’s further evaluation.”
She reached into her purse and pulled out another card. “This is Haven’s number. If you need anything -- anything at all -- call them. They have my contact information, and Cash’s too.”
I took the card, adding it to the two I already held. “Thank you,” I said, the words wholly inadequate for what she was offering.
Lana nodded. “Get some rest, Eliza. Things will look clearer in the morning, and we’ll tackle this together.” She moved toward the door, pausing to add, “You’re not alone in this fight anymore.”
After she left, I sat in the dim hospital room, listening to the soft sounds of Lily’s breathing and the distant noises of the hospital at night. I stared at the three cards in my hand.
For three years, I’d been fighting a battle I couldn’t name against an enemy I couldn’t identify. Doctors dismissed me, insurance companies denied us, and, as of today, a social worker suspected me of the very thing I’d been desperately trying to prevent.
But now, unexpectedly, I had allies. A lawyer who believed me without question.
A tattooed protector who sang my daughter to sleep.
A shelter offering us safety if things got worse.
And finally, most importantly, the prospect of answers from specialists who might actually listen and look beyond the obvious.
I slipped the cards into my wallet, then reached out to stroke Lily’s hair, careful not to wake her.
Her skin felt cool under my fingertips, her expression peaceful in sleep.
For the first time in years, I allowed myself to imagine a future where I knew how to proactively protect my daughter.
It was a dangerous thing, hope. But tonight, watching my daughter sleep while clutching these tangible promises of help, I decided to risk it.