“She liked different things.”
Neither boy remembered much about her, and honestly, I hoped it stayed that way.
For ten years Vanessa never contacted us. No phone calls, no birthday cards, no support.
By then my company was worth more than I ever dreamed possible.
But the greatest blessing in my life was still those two boys.
I thought our lives had finally settled.
Until three weeks ago.
When the security gate buzzed, I assumed it was a delivery driver.
Instead, Vanessa stood outside—with a lawyer.
She looked older, but the calculating expression hadn’t changed.
Inside the living room, her lawyer handed me legal papers.
She was demanding full custody.
“You abandoned them,” I said.
Her smile was thin. “Legally, you only had temporary guardianship. That can change.”
I stepped away to call my lawyer.
“Margaret,” he said cautiously, “courts sometimes favor biological parents if they claim they’ve turned their life around.”
“She vanished for ten years!”
“I understand,” he said. “But we must prepare.”
