Page 22 of Trading Up
One day, I was driving to the Board shop to go over some paperwork while the boys played in the kids’ corner, when I noticed a car following us. I kept my path and sent a text to Row.
Sarah: Someone’s following me. On the way to the shop. I’ll get us upstairs and safe.
I started working my speed up just a little, moving in and out of traffic, trying to find a pocket I could slip in and get a bit of distance between myself and the car following us. I managed to get us to the shop and into the stairwell to my office, locking it behind us. That’s when the banging started. The boys let out little screams, Mave starting to cry, wanting to get up. I picked him up, grabbing Carter’s hand, and we raced up the stairs. I quickly shut the door, locking it, holding my babies as they cried.
“Mommy! I want Daddy!” I pulled my phone out and called Row. When he didn’t answer, I called the restaurants, but he wasn’t in either place. I called Jenson, and thankfully, he answered.
“Sarah, I was going to call you.”
“Jenson. Have you heard from Devereaux? I’ve been trying to call him. There was a car following us, and they’re banging on the door leading to the upstairs part of the shop.”
“He’s here, hold on,” I heard shuffling, and then his voice. His deep timber came through the line, calming me in a way I hadn’t been prepared for. It calmed me so much that I could let the tears fall.
“Sarah?”
“Daddy! Daddy!” The boys cried for him.
“What’s going on? What happened?”
“We were followed to the shop. They’re banging on the back door trying to get upstairs to us.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know, Row! They followed us. I didn’t recognize the car, and the boys were too upset for me to look out the windows.”
“I need you to go look, baby girl. I need to know who’s out there. I’ll call you back on my cellphone.”
I hung up the phone and pried the boys off of me, going to look out all the windows to see if I could see who it was that had followed us. I couldn’t see through most of the windows, but I opened the smaller one in the bathroom and peeked out. I saw the gold sedan, and then I saw her.
Paloma.
She was screaming outside. I picked up the call as soon as my phone vibrated.
“It’s her, Row. I’m calling the cops.”
“Good. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“I love you.”
“I love you more,” I smiled softly, letting myself have a moment of peace. I hung up the phone and called the police. I was done playing around with this woman. Seven minutes later, there was a squad car blocking her car in and an officer trying to figure out who she was and why she was screeching at the building. Three minutes later, Row was pulling in, looking calm and collected. Jenson got out of the passenger side, while Petey got out of the back, an envelope in his hands.
“Okay, boys. Daddy’s here,” I said from the bathroom window where we were huddled together. I watched as Row got his keys out, unlocking the door, and then we heard his voice shout up to us.
“I’m here, baby! Boys? Daddy’s here!” We made our way out, the boys clinging to me, scared after all of the banging and screaming earlier. When we got to the top of the stairs, the boys looked down and saw him. Carter wrapped his arms around my leg, and Maverick was in my arms. Row’s face changed fromneutral to worried in two seconds. He said something to the officer and then took the stairs two at a time to us. He scooped Carter up, wrapping all of us up in a hug. We all cried into his arms, the boys more than I did. I tried to be brave for them, but the whole ordeal had shaken me up. He gently guided us downstairs, his hand never leaving mine as he carried Carter. He poked his head out first, looking around.
Leading us to Jenson, we got an update.
“I told him, as your lawyer, she’s trespassing, had followed you here, and we have documentation of her continued harassment.” Row nodded, while more cars showed up, including Will’s work truck. Just what we needed. The boys were still being fussy, but I was doing my best to hold Mave while answering the officer's questions as Will strode up.
“That’s my wife. Those are my sons.” I heard his voice in the distance telling the officers, and Row must have heard, because I felt his arm snake around me protectively. I tried to focus on the officer’s questions as Will tried to push his way to us. The other officers were yelling at him to stop. The boys were amping back up from the shouting. When they started shouting for their daddy, Will was insisting it was him, while the boys were reaching for Row.
His face looked pissed.
“Sarah! Are you and the boys alright?” He shouted over top of the cops. The officer I was talking to looked at me with an eyebrow raised.
“He’s my ex-husband. He gave up his rights to the boys for a lump sum of money,” I explained, trying to keep my voice low so Will couldn’t hear. I didn’t know what was going on with him. Our divorce was final. I had no idea what he was thinking. It was like, now that I was doing better and had the love and support I needed to thrive and shine, he wanted me back. It was like a kid pissed that someone else was playing with their toy.
It was sick.
