I turned around.
That was when I saw the folder hanging from a hook on the back of the door.
“EMMA”
I opened it.
Inside were copies of school information, emergency contacts, and other records Cheryl had accumulated over the years.
Then I found a handwritten page.
“Things Emma will need here.”
School clothes.
Laptop.
Toiletries.
Books.
School transportation.
At the bottom was another note.
“Talk to counselor about transition.”
I heard voices downstairs.
“Adam!”
At that point, I didn’t care if Cheryl heard me.
“ADAM! GET UP HERE. NOW!”
Footsteps came toward the stairs.
Adam appeared first.
Cheryl was right behind him.
“What happened?” Adam asked.
I pointed toward the calendar.
“What is this?”
He looked at it.
His expression changed.
“I don’t know.”
I laughed once.
It wasn’t because anything was funny.
I pointed to the bottom.
“‘Schedule approved by Adam.’ Want to try again?”
“What?”
He walked closer.
Cheryl stepped into the room.
“I can explain.”
I held up my hand.
“I’m not asking you.”
Adam read the calendar again.
Then he turned toward his mother.
“Mom, what did you do?”
Cheryl’s face tightened.
“Nothing. This is being blown completely out of proportion.”
“Then explain it.”
She gestured toward the room.
“Emma spends a lot of time here. I wanted her to feel like this was her home too.”
I picked up the folder.
“Why are you planning transportation to school?”
Adam took it from me.
“What is this?”
“Adam, it’s just planning.”
“For what?”
Cheryl didn’t answer.
I opened the desk drawer.
Inside was another stack of papers.
I pulled them out.
They were school enrollment forms for a middle school near Cheryl’s house.
My daughter’s name and birth date had already been filled in.
So had Cheryl’s address.
Under guardian information, Cheryl had written her own name.
Adam stared at the papers.
“You were going to change her school?”
“I was looking into options.”
“You filled out enrollment paperwork.”
“I didn’t submit anything.”
I looked at her.
“You don’t fill out enrollment paperwork for options.”
Cheryl sighed.
“Can everyone stop acting like I’ve kidnapped her?”
“Then why does this calendar say Adam approved it?”
She looked at her son.
“Because he did.”
“No, I didn’t,” Adam said.
“Yes, you did.”
“When?”
“A few months ago.”
Adam shook his head.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You don’t remember the schedule I sent you?”
