Page 80 of No Greater Love
Everything okay?
I hesitated, then typed:
Nate's ex showed up. The one who abandoned them.
My phone immediately rang.
"Shut UP," Maria said without preamble. "After eleven years? What does she want?"
"Custody. She filed legal papers and everything."
"That bitch." Maria's outrage was immediate and complete. "She can't just—wait, can she? Legally?"
"That's what we're trying to figure out."
"What does Nate say?"
I sighed. "He wants to meet with her. Talk things out. See if she's really changed."
"Oh honey,noooo. That man's too good for his own good sometimes."
"Tell me about it. He's so worried about doing the right thing that he can't see she's playing him."
"You going with him?"
"He asked me to."
"Good. Someone needs to watch his back." Maria paused. "How's Paige?"
"She doesn't know yet. We're trying to keep things normal until we understand what we're dealing with."
"Poor baby. She adores Nate." Maria's voice softened. "You okay, Tash? This can't be easy for you either."
The question caught me off guard. Was I okay? I was angry, protective, ready to fight. But underneath that...
"I'm scared," I admitted. "Not for me. For them. They're finally happy, Maria. We're finally... building something. And this woman who threw them away wants to wreck it all because what? She's suddenly ready to be a mom?"
"Biology doesn't make you a mother," Maria said firmly. "Showing up does. Being there does. Love does. You've been more of a mother to that girl in the last few months than Sarah's been her whole life."
"Maria, I-"
"No, listen. I've watched you with her. The period emergency? The way you handled that? That's mom stuff, Tasha. That's showing up when it matters."
"Her actual mom is back now."
"Herbiologicalmother. There's a difference. And if she thinks she can waltz in and claim Paige like some forgotten toy, she's got another thing coming." Maria's protective fury was almost as strong as mine. "You need backup? Legal advice? Someone to accidentally run her down in a dark parking lot?"
"Maria!"
"I'm just saying. We protect our own here."
After we hung up, I went inside and started cleaning. It's what I did when I needed to think: aggressive organization of other people's spaces. Nate's kitchen was already pretty organized, but I found things to do. Reorganizing the spice rack. Wiping down baseboards. Anything to keep my hands busy while my mind raced.
What was Sarah's real game here? After eleven years of silence, why now? The timing couldn't be coincidental. Right after Nate emails about us, about our relationship, she suddenly wants back in?
I thought about the woman Nate had described. “Young and drowning”, she'd said on the phone. Unable to handle motherhood. Walking away because it was too hard.
I got that, actually. The being overwhelmed part. The feeling like you weren't cut out for something everyone expected you to do naturally. But I couldn't imagine looking at Paige—tiny, perfect, trusting Paige—and choosing to leave.
