Chapter 3

It took less than twenty-four hours for the summons to reach Tom. He was forced to return to our hometown, not alone, but with Crystal and Kyle trailing behind him like a shadow family.

They pulled up to our small house in Tom' s polished pickup truck, a vehicle far nicer than the one he allowed me and Danny.

Tom got out first, his face a thundercloud. Crystal emerged from the passenger side, all flowing blonde hair and sorrowful eyes, clutching a designer handbag. Kyle, a boy about Danny' s age but with a sneer already etched onto his face, scrambled out after her.

"Sarah, what in God's name do you think you're doing?" Tom hissed, grabbing my arm and pulling me aside before I could even greet Danny, who was peeking from behind my legs.

"I'm protecting my son," I said, yanking my arm free.

Crystal glided over, her expression one of pained sympathy. "Sarah, dear, Tom told me you've been under a lot of stress. We understand. It must be so hard, thinking Tom is neglecting you, but he' s just trying to do right by everyone."

She gestured vaguely towards Kyle, who was now staring at Danny with open disdain.

"He helps us so much," Crystal continued, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Losing my brave husband... Kyle needs a strong male figure. Tom is just being a good man."

I looked at her, at the carefully constructed facade of the grieving Gold Star widow. In my first life, I' d felt pity for her. Now, I only felt cold anger.

While the adults postured, Kyle made his move. He swaggered over to the small table where Danny' s most prized possession sat: a delicate snow globe with a tiny winter scene inside, a gift from my late grandmother.

With a smirk, Kyle picked it up, and before Danny or I could react, he "accidentally" dropped it. It shattered on the wooden floor, the tiny figures scattering, the water and glitter pooling like tears.

Danny let out a heartbroken wail.

"Oh, dear," Crystal said, feigning concern. "Kyle, apologize to... Danny, was it?"

"Boys will be boys," Tom said dismissively, not even looking at the mess or our crying son. "It's just a toy."

My blood boiled. I knelt beside Danny, pulling him close. "It's okay, sweetie. We can fix it." But I knew it was a lie. Some things, once broken, stayed that way.

Later, after a tense, silent dinner I barely touched, Tom cornered me in the kitchen.

"Look, Sarah," he said, his voice low and menacing. "This complaint you filed, it's a mess. You need to retract it. For everyone's sake."

"No, Tom."

His eyes narrowed. "Crystal and Kyle are going to be around. That's just how it is. I' m making arrangements for Danny to come stay with me near the base, like we discussed. He' ll be listed as a distant relative' s kid I' m helping out. He needs to understand he' s a guest and not cause any trouble. No more talk about him being my son officially, not around Crystal and Kyle. It complicates things."

The same horrifying offer from my first life. The same path to Danny' s destruction.

My stomach churned with the memory of the tattered blue fabric.

"He' s not going anywhere with you, Tom," I said, my voice trembling but firm. "Not like that. Not ever again."

Tom scoffed. "You don't have a choice, Sarah. I' m his father. I decide what' s best for him."

His words were a chilling echo of the past, but this time, I wasn't broken. I was ready.