My mother had written:
Everyone says Emma fell.
Caleb replied:
What if she tells him about the keys?
My aunt replied:
Then we all say she was confused.
I felt something inside me finally go quiet.
There was no misunderstanding left.
No family disagreement.
No unfortunate dinner.
There had been a coordinated attempt to control the story before I even walked through the door.
I gave the envelope to my attorney.
Then I went back to the hospital.
Emma was asleep when I entered.
For the first time in days, her face looked peaceful.
I sat beside her until she woke.
“I changed everything,” I whispered.
She looked at me.
“The locks?”
“The locks. The passwords. The emergency contacts. Everything.”
She gave me a tired smile.
“And your mother?”
I took her hand.
“She doesn’t have access to us anymore.”
Three weeks later, our daughter was born.
A healthy baby girl.
