Chapter 1: The Suitcases at the Door
The house fell silent.
Only Lily's coughing broke the tension.
Marcus gently lifted his daughter into his arms while Maya leaned against the kitchen counter, suddenly looking as though every ounce of strength she had been borrowing for weeks had disappeared.
"You're burning up, sweetheart," Marcus whispered, brushing Lily's damp curls away from her forehead.
He turned to Maya.
"When was the last time either of you slept?"
She hesitated before answering.
"I don't remember."
That was enough.
Marcus looked back at his mother.
"You have thirty minutes."
Brenda folded her arms.
"You wouldn't throw your own mother out."
"I already have."
Rachel laughed nervously.
"This is because Maya's been complaining."
Marcus shook his head.
"No."
"It's because I walked into my own house and found my pregnant wife cooking dinner while carrying a sick child."
He pulled out his phone and opened the home's smart security app.
"I travel for work."
"I installed cameras in the common areas years ago."
Brenda's confident expression faltered.
Marcus tapped the screen.
Video after video appeared.
Maya cleaning.
Maya carrying laundry baskets.
Maya cooking.
Maya comforting Lily through sleepless nights.
Meanwhile, Brenda and Rachel spent hours watching television, ordering food, and leaving dishes scattered throughout the house.
There wasn't a single clip of either woman helping.
Marcus quietly locked his phone.
"I don't need an argument."
"I have the truth."
May you like
Without another word, he carried Lily upstairs while Maya followed slowly behind him.
For the first time in weeks, someone else was taking care of them.
