Chapter 81 081
EMILY
The week passed like a slow storm that refused to leave.
I stayed inside my house the entire time.
The curtains remained closed most days. My phone buzzed endlessly on the coffee table, but I rarely touched it. Messages from Morgan filled the screen. Missed calls. Voice notes. Even Aaron had tried reaching out once.
I ignored all of them.
I did not want to hear anyone’s voice. I did not want to explain anything. I did not want to hear Ryan’s name again.
So I stayed alone.
The silence in the house was thick, almost suffocating. Every room carried memories that refused to stay buried. Zara’s laughter used to echo through these walls. Her tiny footsteps. The way she used to run toward me with open arms when she wanted a hug.
Now the house felt empty.
Every time I passed her bedroom door, my chest tightened. I could not bring myself to open it.
I had spent nights sitting on the couch staring at nothing while the clock ticked slowly toward the day I dreaded most.
Court.
The word alone made my stomach twist.
For days I told myself I would be ready. I told myself I would be strong. But each morning I woke up feeling the same heavy weight pressing against my ribs.
Fear.
The morning of the hearing arrived quietly.
I woke up before the sun.
For a few seconds I just lay there, staring at the ceiling. My body felt stiff, like I had not slept at all.
Maybe I hadn’t.
My mind immediately remembered what today was.
The first hearing.
The first time I would see my daughter since social services took her away.
My chest tightened so hard that breathing became difficult.
I slowly sat up in bed.
The room looked unfamiliar in the pale morning light. Clothes were scattered on the chair. A half empty glass of water sat on the nightstand. My phone rested beside it, silent for once.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and sat there for a moment, gathering the courage to move.
You can do this.
The words sounded weak even inside my own head.
Still, I stood.
My feet carried me slowly toward the bathroom. The mirror greeted me with a version of myself I barely recognized.
Dark circles rested under my eyes. My hair looked messy. My face carried the tired look of someone who had cried too many times in one week.
I stared at my reflection.
“You have to get through today,” I whispered quietly.
My voice sounded fragile.
I turned the shower on and stepped inside, letting the warm water run over my shoulders. The heat eased some of the tension sitting in my muscles, but the knot in my chest remained.
All I could think about was Zara.
What if she did not recognize me?
What if she was scared?
What if they tried to convince her that I had abandoned her?
The thought made my stomach twist.
I finished my shower slowly and stepped out, wrapping a towel around myself.
Getting dressed felt like the hardest task in the world.
I opened the closet and stared at the clothes hanging inside. Most of them suddenly felt wrong.
Too bright.
Too casual.
Too careless for something as serious as court.
My fingers finally landed on a simple outfit. A soft cream blouse and a dark skirt that fell just below my knees.
Nothing flashy.
Nothing dramatic.
Just something that made me look like a mother who loved her child.
I dressed slowly, taking my time with every small movement. My hands trembled slightly while buttoning the blouse.
When I finished, I sat at the edge of the bed again.
The house remained quiet around me.
My phone lay on the nightstand.
Morgan’s name appeared on the screen from another missed call earlier that morning.
I stared at it for a long moment.
Morgan had been at my door several times during the week. I knew because I heard the knocking.
She would stand outside calling my name, asking me to open the door, asking if I was okay.
I never answered.
I did not trust my voice not to break.
But today was different.
Today I could not do this alone.
My fingers finally picked up the phone.
The screen felt heavy in my hand as I pressed Morgan’s contact.
It rang twice before she answered.
“Emily?”
Her voice sounded surprised. Relief followed immediately.
“Emily, are you okay?”
My throat tightened.
“I need your help.”
There was no hesitation on the other end.
“Of course,” she said quickly. “Tell me what you need.”
“I can’t go there alone.”
The words came out barely above a whisper.
Morgan’s voice softened instantly.
“You don’t have to.”
Tears burned behind my eyes.
“Can you come get me?”
“I’m already outside your house.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“I’ve been here since morning,” she said gently. “I wasn’t sure if you’d open the door, but I wasn’t leaving.”
Emotion rushed through my chest.
“Okay,” I whispered.
“I’ll be right there.”
I grabbed my bag and walked toward the front door. My heart pounded louder with every step.
When I opened the door, Morgan stood exactly where she said she would be.
Her expression softened the moment she saw me.
Without saying anything, she pulled me into a tight hug.
For a second I just stood there in her arms.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Morgan squeezed me slightly.
“You never have to thank me for being here.”
We walked to her car together.
The drive to the courthouse felt longer than usual. Neither of us spoke much during the ride.
The closer we got, the tighter my chest felt.
When the courthouse building finally appeared ahead of us, my stomach twisted violently.
Morgan pulled into the parking lot and parked the car.
Neither of us moved immediately.
The large building stood in front of us like something intimidating and unavoidable.
This was where everything would be decided.
This was where strangers would listen to Cecilia’s lies and determine if I was worthy of my own daughter.
My hands trembled in my lap.
Morgan noticed.
She reached over and gently squeezed my hand.
“I’m here,” she said softly.
I inhaled slowly, trying to steady my breathing.
My eyes remained fixed on the courthouse doors.
“Let’s do this,” I finally said quietly.
Morgan nodded beside me.
“I’m here.”