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Their deed then

Much like the officers had in our old hometohen I went in to report the abuse

Robert had power

No, that wasn’t quite right

Robert’s name had power

Police generally protected their own I already had that against me But when one of their oas the son of a state senator who could end their careers with one phone call?

That was so entirely different

With me, broken and brutalized, it sucked but I understood it Because I’d had countless lessons of how hard, cruel, and unfair the world was I didn’t groith the illusion that life was full of justice for those ronged others I knew all about the ugly truths

I had been frustrated but resigned when they turned e to report what had been then, years of abuse I was resigned to the fact the police wouldn’t help me, and, like always, I’d have to help myself My son

And I did

But this was different

This was a child

My child

Pure

Beautiful

Helpless

And still, the officer was looking at me with that bored, hardened expression

“I have full custody,” I gritted out,into my palms as I tried to stay calm How does anyone stay calm when they didn’t knohere their baby was?

“Given to you by the courts?” he asked

Tears prickled the backs of my eyes, I didn’t let them fall Not just because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop theive thisonto a distorted version of brotherhood at the expense of a child

“No,” I said,“Up until today, his father had no interest in even fighting for custody He has not been in his life in three years”

I wish I could say he had not been in , but his visit yesterdaywould happen after That he wouldn’t just leave me alone

The officer glanced at ht to see his child,hihts to pick him up from school”

“He didn’t just pick him up from school,” I hissed “He took him Not because he is a father Because he is a erous one I don’t give a dae just as shiny as yours, and you shouldn’t either Not when a little boy is in danger”