I went straight to Emma.
“Baby, are you okay?”
She wrapped both arms around me. “I’m fine.”
I looked at Travis. “What happened?”
The principal stood. “Ma’am, there seems to be some confusion about pickup today. Your sister-in-law arrived to collect Emma this afternoon.”
I turned toward Melissa.
She raised both hands. “Ryan told me to.”
The principal continued.
“She told our staff that Emma’s father had authorized her pickup. Emma refused to leave with her. Shortly afterward, Mr. Travis arrived for his regular pickup.”
“They didn’t know who they were supposed to release her to, so I asked them to call you.”
The principal nodded. “Which is what we did.”
A headache began forming behind my eyes.
“I never approved you picking her up. I don’t understand why you’re here.”
“What?”
Melissa’s expression changed.
“I didn’t know anything about this, Mel.”
“Ryan said you did. He told me you guys decided Travis wasn’t picking her up anymore.”
Anger replaced my fear almost instantly. “We didn’t decide anything.”
Melissa looked genuinely hurt. “Why would he tell me you did?”
I had no answer.
Whatever Ryan feared, he’d gone behind my back to act on it.
Emma tugged my sleeve.
“I want to stay with Travis.” She stared at the floor. “I trust Travis. I don’t trust Daddy anymore.”
Everything inside me stopped.
“What?”
Emma’s eyes filled. “I don’t trust Daddy.”
I looked at Travis.
His expression told me he knew more.
“Why would my daughter say that?”
Travis glanced toward Emma. “Talk to Ryan.”
My temper snapped.
“No. If you know something about my daughter, you tell me.”
His jaw tightened.
“She told me something on our walks. I talked to Ryan about it.”
“You talked to my husband about my daughter?”
“Yes.”
“And neither one of you thought I should know?”
“I thought he was going to handle it.”
I could barely process what I was hearing.
“Handle what?”
Travis shook his head. “Talk to Ryan first. Then if you still want to talk to me, we will.”
