I sat in my living room, marveling at the jumble of baby equipment, while my five-month-old son Ethan slept in his swing.
Ruth, my mother-in-law, stood in front of me with impeccable posture and a concerned expression.
I wanted to say no. Ruth had been all over our business since Ethan was born, constantly showing up unannounced or offering to take him to her house so I could “rest.” At first, I felt grateful.
Ruth became more acute over several weeks. She even transformed her spare bedroom into a full nursery, complete with a cot, changing table, and rocking chair.
Now she’s suggesting we remain at her apartment. Nolan and she both looked at me anxiously, waiting for an answer.
I could not fight them.
So we stayed at my mother-in-law’s house for the night, and around 7:30 a.m. the next morning, she was in the guest room doorway.
Ruth’s constant presence and subtle criticisms veiled in charming compassion raised warning flags. I wasn’t aware of all the warning flags and couldn’t comprehend how someone could attempt such malicious behavior.
Anyway, Ruth fed Ethan and got him back to sleep nearly immediately. It was still early, so she persuaded Nolan to go grocery shopping.
Meanwhile, I had a throbbing headache, so once they had gone, I went into Ruth’s bathroom to get some medications.
But something other than the bottles drew my attention. There was a manila envelope stuffed inside. Weird. Curiosity got the best of me, and I grabbed it.
Because as soon as I recognized what I was reading, my blood chilled. Ruth had carefully prepared the notes and documents that were in the envelope. After putting all of the puzzle pieces together, the goal was clear: she wanted to take Ethan from me.
The phrase “Custody Proceedings” stood out among an especially wordy stack of papers stapled together.
I learned with dread that these were issued by a legitimate law practice.
Aside from that, the notes recorded every action I made regarding tasks and mothering duties:
“Emma sleeping while the baby cries – 10 minutes (photo attached)”
“House in disarray during surprise visit”
“Mother seems uninterested in proper feeding schedule”
But the true gut hit came from an email exchange with a family lawyer.
“As discussed, my son Nolan agrees that his wife Emma is unfit to be Ethan’s primary caregiver,” Ruth had written. “She’s too tired to argue, which works in our favor. Soon, Ethan will be where he belongs: with me.”
My initial thought was to rip everything to pieces or burn it on fire right there in her immaculate bathroom.
Instead, I took out my phone with shaky hands and photographed every page. I needed evidence.
I had just returned to the living room when Nolan and Ruth returned from their grocery trip. My entire body shook with wrath as I ripped out the envelope and slammed it on the dining table.
Ruth rushed up behind him. “Now, Emma, let me explain. This is all for Ethan’s well-being.”
“It was just a precaution, in case you didn’t get better.”
“Better from what? Being a new mom? How could you? Were you really going to let your mother take our son?”
“You have GOT to be kidding me!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Are you that selfish? You don’t get enough attention, so you plot to take MY BABY from me?!”
With that, I dashed into the nursery, where Ethan was still sleeping, scooped him, and dashed out.
Ruth attempted to obstruct my path.
At the door, I turned around and flashed my soon-to-be ex-husband a searing look before saying, “Stay away from us.”
With that, I drove directly to my buddy Angelina’s place.
The following few weeks were terrible. A slew of legal meetings and court appearances only exacerbated my worry. Fortunately, the cops never intervened.
Ruth and her lawyers attempted to explain that she was simply a caring grandmother.
Also, when questioned, Nolan acted like a baby, confessing to doing anything his mother desired. When the judge heard that, he realized the truth.
Ruth was not only denied custody but she was also served with a restraining order at the request of my counsel.
I filed for divorce from Nolan one week after custody was finalized.
And when my days feel never-ending, I remember Ethan’s wonderful smile beaming up at me, his mother, and that’s all I need to keep going.
