Chapter 4 - WHAT DIANE DID TO LAURA
Laura’s trouble with Diane began when Sophie was born.
She sounded almost embarrassed explaining it.
“I thought Mom was just excited.”
Diane came to Portland for three weeks after the birth.
She cooked.
Did laundry.
Held Sophie so Laura could sleep.
Exactly what a loving mother might do.
Then she started making decisions.
Sophie should be formula-fed because breastfeeding was “making Laura obsessive.”
Nathan should sleep in the guest room because he had work.
Laura should take a full year off.
The daycare Laura toured was “institutional.”
Her pediatrician was “too modern.”
Every disagreement became evidence Laura was rejecting family wisdom.
When Laura’s maternity leave ended, Diane called her crying.
“A six-month-old baby needs her mother.”
Laura returned to work anyway.
That was the first unforgivable act.
Then came the second.
Laura and Nathan refused to move back to Virginia.
Diane had already told friends they were coming.
She had even contacted a realtor.
“When I said no,” Laura explained, “Mom told me I was choosing Nathan over my family.”
Ryan rubbed his forehead.
“That sounds familiar.”
Emily looked at him.
Very familiar.
Laura continued.
Then Diane called Nathan privately.
She told him Laura was struggling emotionally.
Said motherhood had made her unstable.
Suggested he should “watch for signs.”
Nathan told Laura immediately.
They confronted Diane.
She cried.
Said everyone misunderstood her concern.
Then Laura discovered Diane had called Sophie’s daycare pretending to be her grandmother with pickup authority.
She asked whether Sophie could be released to her if she came to Virginia unexpectedly.
The daycare refused.
Laura removed Diane from every emergency list.
That was when Diane declared war.
Not publicly.
Privately.
She began telling relatives Laura was keeping Sophie away “for punishment.”
She told Michael that Nathan controlled Laura.
She told Ryan that Laura had become arrogant.
And she told Laura something equally damaging.
“Ryan agrees with me,” Diane said. “He thinks what you’re doing to Dad is disgusting.”
Ryan closed his eyes.
“I never said that.”
“I know now.”
“How?”
“Dad told me.”
The room went silent.
Diane’s head snapped toward the phone.
May you like
Laura continued.
“Dad figured it out before he died.”
