Chapter 6 - The Watching Light
"Turn it off," I said.
"Don't be silly," Linda replied. "It's just connected to my phone."
I nearly dropped the camera. "Your phone?"
Daniel stepped closer. "Mom, I thought we were going to discuss it before installing anything."
Linda gave him a look that would have stopped him at twelve. It still worked at thirty-five.
"You asked me to help," she said. "This is helping."
I unplugged the device and held it out. "Take it and leave."
"Emily, be reasonable."
"Stop telling me to be reasonable while you do unreasonable things."
Linda's mouth tightened. "You've been this way for months. Suspicious. Hostile. Nothing anyone does is good enough."
The words sounded rehearsed. I had heard them from Daniel during arguments when I was too tired to defend myself.
"So that's what you two call me."
Daniel shook his head. "Nobody's calling you anything."
Linda reached into her purse and produced a printout. "I have a checklist. Hospital contacts, visitors, emergency plans. Someone has to be organized."
The first page listed her name under Primary Support Person. The second contained my estimated due date, physician's name, and medical information I'd shared only with Daniel.
I snatched it away. "Why do you have this?"
"I made copies so nobody gets confused."
"Nobody except me, apparently."
Linda took a deep breath, the way people do when they are trying to look patient for an audience. "You won't be able to manage everything alone after delivery."
"I won't be alone. Nora's coming."
"Your sister has no experience with babies."
"She's an ER nurse."
"And I'm a mother," Linda snapped. "I raised the man standing next to you."
"Then you should know how to let him grow up."
Daniel made a strangled sound. "Emily."
I folded the printout and tucked it into my pocket. "I want to know everything you've submitted in my name."
Linda's confidence flickered. Just once.
"You don't need to worry about that," she said.
May you like
"That wasn't an answer."
She lifted her chin. "You'll find out at your next appointment."
