Page 69 of Single Mom's Firemen

“As you can see, I’ve come alone.”

I look around. It doesn’t take long to notice a couple of bouncers in black tracksuits keeping a reasonable distance while persistently looking our way. “Again, bullshit,” I mutter.

“The guards don’t count,” Helen says. “A woman of my stature must have protection Helena, you know that.”

“I’m not going to ask you a third time,” I bluntly reply.

She scoffs and shakes her head in dramatic dismay. “Were you always this belligerent, Helena? I mean you no harm, for heaven’s sake. I just wanted to see my grandchildren.”

“You mean no harm? That’s rich, coming from the woman who’s suing for the custody of my children,” I snap. “You have some nerve.”

“I had no choice, given the way you left,” she says.

I can’t help but laugh, a reaction to what I can only describe as Harriet’s delusional audacity. “I left the way I left because I didn’t have a better choice,” I reply. “You knew what your son was doing to me and you didn’t care. You blamed me and cleaned up after him every time. What was I supposed to do?”

“Let’s not dig up the past, it doesn’t do any good.”

“Oh, it’ll do me a great bit of good in court. Once they hear the excuses you consistently made for your son and the money you threw at lawyers and cops alike to keep him from facing any consequences, I think it’ll do a lot of good. Now, if you know what’s best, you’ll stay the hell away from me and my children,” I say with every bit of potency I can conjure.

I steal a glance at Sammy and Luna. To my relief, they are both still busy with the ducklings, though I notice Luna looking our way once in a while, if only for a split-second.

“I tried being nice, Helena” Harriet says with a sneer.

“You’ve never been nice a day in your life. By the way, tell your son that the next time he tries to attack me in an alley, he’ll get more than just a punch in the face.”

Harriet shakes her head. “I have no control over what Colby does. Maybe if you’d been a better wife—"

I see red and cut her off. “What? So, if I’d been a better wife, he wouldn’t have tried to burn our children and me alive? Is that what you’re trying to say?”

“You don’t know that!” she hisses. “My son would never—”

“There’s mounting evidence against him, Harriet. Why don’t you do everyone a favor and just get him to turn himself in? I mean, seeing he’s innocent and all.”

Harriet exhales sharply, downright exasperated. “I’ve had enough of this nonsense.”

Once more, she deflects when I throw the balls back at her. She could never handle the truth about Colby, she would never take any accountability for his behavior or his wretched character. I’m too tired to keep playing these games.

“Walk away Harriet. I’ll see you in court.”

She takes an envelope out of her purse and hands it over with a perky smirk. “This is the very last chance I’m giving you to do the right thing.”

“What is this?” I ask, staring at the envelope. Harriet doesn’t answer. Instead, she patiently waits for me to rip it open. Inside, I find several printed photographs of… “Oh, my God.”

Photographs of me and the Danson brothers. I remember that evening by the pool. It was just the four of us. Naked, in the water. Naked, in the grass. Making love under the starry sky, oblivious to the rest of the world. The fence surrounding their house is tall. There were trees blocking the view, along with the house itself. That spot by the pool was supposed to be blind, but clearly it’s not blind to someone determined to get some dirt on me. And oh, boy, did they get all the dirt they wanted.

I think I’m gonna be sick. Bile rises up to my throat, burning its way into my mouth.

Cold sweat blooms on my forehead and temples as I stare at the images, fully aware of Harriet’s satisfied grin as she watches my whole world come crashing down on me.

“I knew you’d slip up, eventually. But I certainly did not expect such a colossal fuckup on your part. Consider me impressed.”

“How did you get these?” I whisper.

“I get whatever it is that I need,” Harriet replies. “I told you not to poke the bear, dear. In my defense, I did warn you. Now, tell me, what do you think the judge will say when he looks at these? The perfect example of a fit mother, right?”

“My personal life has nothing to do with—”

“It has everything to do with how you’re raising my grandchildren,” she interjects, fury oozing from every word. “You have until the court date to decide, Helena. Either you surrender the children willingly to me, or I will present these before the judge. If you surrender the children willingly, we can at least work out a visiting schedule for you. If not, I will get full custody, and I will add a restraining order on top of that. I will not have my grandchildren’s lives destroyed by a whore like you.”

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