Chapter 6 - The Cost of Calling It What It Was
Bernadette gave CPS the fertility consent, Shana's explanation of the donor meeting, and the timeline.
She did not soften anything.
Neither did Shana.
That mattered.
It did not erase what she had done.
The county arranged supervised contact only. Colby's contact was suspended pending further assessment after Milo told the forensic interviewer the leather strap had been used before.
Shana was allowed a supervised visit at a family-services center.
Milo refused to go.
The caseworker did not force him.
That night, Bernadette found Milo sitting at the kitchen island drawing superheroes.
“Mom says sorry a lot,” he said.
Bernadette pulled out the chair beside him.
“Has she said it to you?”
“Not yet.”
“Maybe she hasn't earned the chance yet.”
Milo considered that.
Then he drew another line.
“Is Dad not my dad?”
Bernadette's chest tightened.
She could have given him a convenient answer.
Instead she gave him the truth appropriate for an eight-year-old.
“Your dad knew another man helped your parents have you. He chose to be your father when you were born.”
“Then why doesn't he want me?”
Bernadette had no safe lie for that.
“I think your dad has some feelings he never learned to handle. That's his responsibility, not yours.”
Milo stared at the paper.
“Mom said if I told him about Dean, he'd think we wanted another dad.”
Dean.
The donor finally had a name.
The next morning, Shana called Bernadette.
“I want to sign whatever CPS needs so Milo can stay with you.”
Bernadette was surprised.
Then Shana added, “But I need you to promise Colby won't lose his job.”
There it was.
The old family pattern.
Protection in exchange for silence.
Bernadette owned sixty-two percent of Hale Custom Millwork. Colby ran operations and drew a substantial salary.
Two months earlier, he had screamed at an installer in front of a client.
Bernadette had buried that too.
“No,” she said.
Shana sounded stunned.
“No?”
“I'll protect Milo. I'm done protecting adults from consequences.”
May you like
For the first time, Shana did not argue.
But that afternoon, Bernadette's controller at Hale Custom Millwork called.
