Chapter 3 - The Confrontation
My parents’ house looked exactly as it always did, a picture-perfect suburban home hiding a rotting foundation.
I did not knock.
I used my spare key and walked straight into the living room, where Denise, Ray, and Kara were gathered.
They looked up, their expressions shifting from annoyance to defensive anger.
"How dare you just walk in here after upsetting your mother?" Ray demanded, standing up from his recliner.
I didn't say a word.
I walked over to the coffee table and dropped the printed incident report right in the center.
"Read it," I commanded, my voice eerily calm.
Denise crossed her arms, refusing to look at the paper.
"I don't need to read anything," she scoffed. "We lost him in the crowd. It happens to everyone."
"You didn't lose him," I corrected her, staring directly into her eyes.
"A Disney employee heard you say 'We're leaving, his mom can deal with it.' It is all documented right there."
Kara leaned forward, her face turning a pale, sickly shade of white as she skimmed the document.
"This is ridiculous," Kara stammered. "They can't prove who said what."
"They have security cameras covering every square inch of that park, Kara," I lied blithely, though I knew it was likely true.
"They have the exact timestamp of you three walking out the gates while my son was in the bathroom."
Ray finally picked up the paper, his eyes scanning the official Disney letterhead and the severe language.
"We thought he would just follow us," Ray mumbled, offering the weakest excuse I had ever heard.
"You left a six-year-old completely alone in a city of strangers because he had to pee," I stated, the reality of their cruelty hanging in the air.
"You are no longer my family."
"You will never see Elliot again."
Denise gasped, pressing a dramatic hand to her chest.
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"You can't keep my grandson away from me over one little mistake!" she shrieked.
"Watch me," I whispered, turning on my heel and walking out the door.
