a newborn.”
She sighed as though I were being deliberately difficult.
“Evelyn, be practical.
Two infants are expensive.
Graham already supports you.
Dana and Peter have a beautiful house and plenty of money.
Eli would have everything.”
“He already has everything he needs.
His parents.”
Lorraine’s mouth tightened.
“Dana deserves a child.”
“Dana’s pain does not create a claim on mine.”
Her eyes became cold.
“That’s a cruel thing to say.”
“No.
What you’re asking is cruel.”
I pushed the folder away.
“Take those papers and leave.”
Instead, Lorraine reached for Eli’s bassinet.
I saw the movement and felt every muscle in my body tense.
“Don’t touch him.”
She lifted him.
Eli startled awake and began crying.
“Lorraine.
Put my son down.”
“You’ll upset your incision.”
“Put him down.”
She turned toward the door.
I tried to swing my legs over the side of the bed.
Pain tore across my abdomen so violently that my vision blurred.
Lorraine came back and shoved my shoulder against the mattress.
“Stop being hysterical.”
Her hand caught my mouth.
Her ring split the inside of my lip against my teeth.
For one second, I stared at her.
Then I pressed the red security button mounted beside my bed.
An alarm sounded in the corridor.
Lorraine froze.
The door opened within seconds.
Two nurses entered first, followed by hospital security.
Lorraine changed instantly.
Her voice became breathless and frightened.
“Thank goodness.
She’s unstable.
She tried to take the baby from me and almost fell out of bed.”
One nurse looked at my lip.
“Mrs.
Mercer, what happened?”
“She hit me,” I said.
“She removed my child after I told her not to.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Lorraine cried.
“I’m his grandmother.
She’s confused from medication.”
An officer approached slowly.
“Ma’am, we’re going to get everyone separated while we figure out what happened.”
“Fine,” I said.
“Start by returning my son.”
Lorraine tightened her hold on Eli.
“See? She’s agitated.”
I remember thinking how easily confidence could masquerade as credibility.
Lorraine was fully dressed, composed, and standing upright.
I was pale, bleeding from the mouth, attached to an IV, and struggling to sit up after major surgery.
For several dangerous seconds, the room operated on appearances rather than facts.
Then Chief Marcus Hale entered.
Marcus oversaw security for the medical center.
Months earlier, he had attended a courthouse coordination meeting after a defendant in a case before me received threats.
We had spoken twice.
He stepped into the room, took in the officers, the crying baby, and Lorraine’s raised voice.
Then he saw me.
“Judge Ross?”
The room went still.
Lorraine stared at him.
Marcus’s expression sharpened as he noticed my injured lip.
“What happened?”
“That woman took my child from his bassinet after I ordered her not to,” I said.
“When I attempted to stop her, she pushed me back onto the bed and struck my mouth.”
Marcus looked at the nurse.
“Return the infant to the patient.”
The nurse approached Lorraine.
“Please give me the baby.”
“No.
You don’t understand.
I’m his grandmother.”
“And I am his mother,” I said.
That ended it.
Eli was placed against my chest.
His crying softened as I held him beside Mira.
Only after both children were safely with me did Marcus ask, “Would you like hospital police contacted?”
“Yes.
