Chapter 4 - The Choice That Cost Greer Her Old Life
At nine the next morning, Greer called her academic adviser.
By noon, she had requested a temporary reduced course load.
By three, she was sitting across from a family-law attorney in a small Overland Park office that smelled like coffee and printer paper.
Her name was Denise Porter.
She did not promise Greer anything.
That made Greer trust her.
“You’re twenty,” Denise said. “You’re his adult sibling, but Sabine has a court-ordered guardianship. You can’t override that because you dislike her parenting.”
“I don’t dislike it. I watched her force food toward his mouth while he screamed.”
“Did the food enter his mouth?”
“No.”
“Was he injured?”
“No.”
“Any history of medical neglect?”
“I don’t know.”
Denise folded her hands.
“Then the first thing you need is facts.”
Greer told her about Holly.
About Eli.
About the envelope.
About Rick knowing the name.
Then she admitted the part she least wanted to admit.
“I hit Sabine.”
Denise’s expression changed.
“How many times?”
“Twice. Open-handed. And I shoved her.”
“You need to understand that Sabine may frame you as unstable or physically aggressive.”
“I was protecting Fletcher.”
“That explains it. It does not erase it.”
Greer looked down.
Denise continued.
“No more confrontations. No taking Fletcher without permission. No threats. No social media. If you’re genuinely concerned about his safety, you document what you personally observed, contact the appropriate professionals and let the process be boring.”
“Boring?”
“Boring is usually more useful than dramatic.”
Greer almost smiled.
Almost.
That afternoon, she called Fletcher’s pediatric office.
They would not release his records to her.
But the receptionist confirmed something unintentionally.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Only the parent or guardian listed can authorize access.”
“Who’s listed?”
A pause.
“I can’t give you account information.”
Greer had already heard enough.
Parent or guardian.
Not mother.
Next she called Dana Brooks, her mother’s closest friend.
Dana had brought casseroles after Holly died.
She had helped Greer choose a dress for the funeral.
They had not spoken in almost a year.
When Greer said the name Eli Ward, Dana went silent.
“Where did you hear that name?”
“My aunt’s trash.”
Dana exhaled.
“Oh, God.”
Greer closed her eyes.
“You knew too.”
“Yes.”
“Did he abandon Mom?”
“No.”
The answer came without hesitation.
Greer gripped the phone.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know everything. Holly stopped telling me everything near the end.”
“Tell me what you do know.”
Dana hesitated.
“Eli was in recovery when Holly got pregnant.”
“For what?”
“Pain pills. Then fentanyl. He’d been clean for almost a year when Fletcher was born.”
Greer sat down hard on the edge of her bed.
That changed the shape of the story.
Not enough to excuse Sabine.
Enough to explain fear.
Dana continued.
“Holly loved him. She also didn’t completely trust his recovery yet. She wanted him involved, but slowly.”
“Did he know Fletcher was his?”
“Yes.”
Greer stopped breathing for a second.
Dana’s voice softened.
“He came to Kansas City after Holly died.”
“When?”
“For the funeral.”
Greer thought of Sabine’s immediate answer.
No.
“Did you see him?”
“Yes.”
“Did Sabine?”
“Yes.”
Greer looked across her room at the overnight bag she had packed.
“What happened?”
“Sabine met him outside before the service.”
“And?”
“I don’t know what she said. But Eli left.”
Greer heard her own voice become very quiet.
“Did he ever come back?”
May you like
Dana paused.
“He tried.”
