Chapter 6 - The Trap at the Clinic
As Emma approached her thirty-ninth week of pregnancy, her safety during her routine medical checkups became our highest priority.
My mother, aware that Emma’s due date was near, attempted one last desperate maneuver to regain control. She realized that she couldn't come near our house or the secure cottage without risking immediate arrest, so she shifted her focus to the regional women’s health clinic where Emma had been receiving her prenatal care for months.
It was a rainy Tuesday morning. David and I accompanied Emma to her final scheduled checkup before her planned delivery. David stood post in the lobby while I walked Emma into the private examination suite.
Unbeknownst to us, my aunt—my mother’s sister—had been waiting in a car parked across the street from the clinic for three days, tracking our movements.
While Emma was changing in the exam room, my aunt walked into the clinic reception area wearing a large hat and sunglasses. She approached the front desk clerk, holding a large, expensive gift basket filled with baby clothes and flowers.
“Hi dear,” my aunt said, putting on a sweet, maternal voice. “I’m Emma Vance’s mother-in-law. I just wanted to drop this off for her in room 204. I know she’s in there right now.”
The receptionist, following the strict security protocols I had established two weeks prior, glanced at the computer screen. A bright red warning flag appeared next to Emma’s file.
Without alerting my aunt, the receptionist clicked a silent alarm button under her desk.
“Of course, ma'am,” the receptionist said smoothly. “Let me just check with the head nurse if it’s okay to bring items into that room.”
My aunt smiled, believing her trick had worked.
Ten seconds later, David stepped out of the inner hallway into the reception area, flanked by two armed hospital security officers. At the same time, two city police officers, who had been patrolling the medical district, pulled up to the front entrance.
My aunt’s smile vanished as David approached her.
“Ma'am,” David said calmly, pulling out his badge. “You are currently in violation of a court-issued protection order by acting as an agent for Evelyn Vance. Step away from the desk and keep your hands where we can see them.”
My aunt panicked, dropping the heavy gift basket onto the tile floor. A porcelain vase inside shattered loudly, spilling water and pink roses across the entrance lobby.
“You can’t arrest me!” she shrieked as the city officers restrained her wrists. “I’m just delivering flowers! This family has gone insane!”
Inside the exam room, I heard the commotion in the lobby and immediately locked the inner door, standing in front of Emma as she sat on the examination table.
When the nurse knocked on the door three minutes later to inform us that the situation was entirely resolved and my aunt had been taken into custody, Emma reached for my hand and let out a long, quiet sigh.
“They’re running out of moves, aren't they?” Emma asked softly, her voice steady and calm despite the commotion outside.
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“They’re out of moves,” I confirmed, wrapping my arms around her shoulder. “Every time they try to reach us, they just build the state's criminal case against themselves.”
The doctor stepped into the room with a warm smile, looking at Emma’s ultrasound monitor. “Everything looks perfect, Emma. The baby’s heartbeat is strong and steady. You’re ready to deliver whenever she is.”
