After Emma’s week-long stay with my ex-husband, I drove up to his place to pick her up. But as I got closer to the door, I heard a scream that made my blood boil. With my heart rushing, I ran into the house to protect my child.
When I went inside, I saw a scary scene. Katie, the new wife of my ex-husband, stood still with her broom raised high and a painful look on her face. Emma knelt on the ground and cried tears down her face. My gut told me to step in and help.
But as I looked at the broken vase next to Emma, Katie’s face changed from anger to worry. With fear written all over her face, she dropped the broom and ran to Emma’s side. She cried, “Oh God, Emma, are you okay?”
I got down on my knees next to my daughter and looked for wounds. Emma cried and held her hurt knee. Katie cried as she said she was sorry and that Emma had broken the vase by accident. She was trying to stop more damage from happening.
Mark, my ex-husband, rushed in and looked around at the chaos. Katie spoke with a shaking voice. Mark’s face got softer, but he was still worried.
After making sure Emma was safe, I spoke to Katie in a strong voice. “We need to talk.” We talked about how to communicate and what to do in an emergency. Katie admitted she made a mistake out of fear.
Emma sat still and quiet as I drove her home. “We’re going to be okay,” I told her. Emma gave me a big hug that night as I put her to bed. “I love you, Mommy.”
From then on, Emma’s safety and well-being came first, and I was more careful than ever when dealing with the challenges of joint custody.
The event taught me that a mother’s protective feelings are strong even when she shares custody of her children. I promised Emma that I would always love and protect her, no matter where she was.
