You Thought My Turn Could Always Come Later Chapter 15
Caroline refused to sign the long-term housing consent form.
She hired a lawyer and demanded the school release me into her custody.
As soon as Ronan heard, he drove back to the school.
In the meeting room, their argument grew louder and louder.
“She was only with you for a few months and you drove her to run away from home!”
“That’s still better than being with you! You can’t even remember her birthday!”
“What right do you have to talk? When she had an asthma attack, did you even know where her medicine was?”
“And you? Her medicine was destroyed and you told her to be more understanding!”
I sat beside them, listening quietly.
Finally, the lawyer turned to me.
“Sabine, which parent do you want to live with?”
They both looked at me.
Caroline spoke first.
“My house is much nicer. I can give you your own room.”
Ronan’s eyes were red.
“I already made Megan and Chloe move out.”
“The house is just like it was before.”
“I didn’t touch a thing in your room.”
I placed a stack of documents on the table.
“I choose to board at school.”
Caroline slammed her hand on the table.
“Are you still holding a grudge?”
“I’m protecting myself.”
I opened the file to the first page.
It was the parent-teacher conference sign-in sheets from the last three years.
My mother had missed nine.
After Chloe arrived, my father had missed four in a row.
The second page was my hospital record.
The third was a log of every time I’d had to take the bus home alone.
The last page was a housing guarantee, co-signed by Ms. Ward and the school principal.
“You both say you love me.”
“But you only remember me when no one else needs you.”
“When something happens with Penelope, you go to her first.”
“When Chloe cries, Dad forgets all about me.”
Caroline’s face grew paler with every word.
Ronan bowed his head, his shoulders trembling.
I set the pen in front of them.
“Sign it.”
“Don’t make me turn all of this over to Child Protective Services.”