Patrick arrived the following afternoon wearing an expensive cologne layered over the scent of catered herbs, and he avoided meeting my eyes as he placed a large manila envelope across the hospital tray table beside my untouched gelatin cup.
He did not congratulate me or reach toward the bassinets first, because instead he cleared his throat and said, “This is for the best,” as though he were negotiating a business contract rather than dismantling a family.
When I opened the envelope, I saw formal divorce papers drafted by a Boston attorney whose name I recognized from Savannah’s charity board.
“You are not capable of building anything stable,” Patrick muttered with quiet contempt. “You could not even save my parents’ house when it mattered, and Savannah accomplished what you never could.”
He glanced at the twins sleeping inches away and added coldly, “I intend to seek primary custody of one child because you clearly cannot manage both.”
Something inside me settled into absolute stillness at that moment, because the magnitude of his ignorance eclipsed even the pain of labor I had endured hours earlier.
“You cannot separate them,” I said steadily, forcing my voice not to tremble.
Patrick straightened his shoulders and replied, “You have no leverage and no property, so you do not have the standing to challenge me.”
Before I could respond further, the hospital door opened with abrupt authority, and two uniformed officers accompanied by Detective Laura Bennett from the Rhode Island Financial Crimes Division entered the room with measured professionalism.
“Mrs. Addison Grant,” the detective said, reading from a tablet while maintaining eye contact with me, “we need to discuss the Donovan residence on Cedar Bay Road.”
Patrick’s confidence flickered for the first time as he shifted uncomfortably near the foot of my bed.
“There is an active investigation concerning fraudulent documentation and unlawful transfer attempts tied to that property,” Detective Bennett continued in an even tone.
Patrick let out a dismissive laugh and said, “Savannah Pierce legally purchased that house months ago, so this must be a misunderstanding.”
Detective Bennett stepped forward and placed a certified copy of the recorded deed on my hospital tray, allowing the official seal of Bristol County to catch the fluorescent light.