Chapter 4 - The Photo Op
Three weeks passed, and Leo was finally cleared to leave the NICU.
It was the happiest day of my life, but Ryan and his mother were determined to ruin it.
Knowing they had lost the legal battle, Brenda decided to wage a war in the court of public opinion.
She showed up at the hospital with a professional photographer in tow.
She wanted pictures of Ryan holding the baby he had abandoned, planning to post them on Facebook with a fabricated story about me keeping his child away from him.
They waited by the discharge doors, holding a ridiculous bouquet of blue balloons.
As the nurse wheeled me out with Leo in my arms, camera flashes went off in my face.
"Smile, Ryan! Show everyone how much you love your son!" Brenda ordered loudly.
Ryan reached out, trying to grab the car seat from my hands.
"Let me hold my boy," he said, plastering a fake, mournful look on his face for the camera.
I pulled Leo close to my chest, shielding his tiny face from the bright flashes.
"Do not touch us," I said, my voice shaking with protective fury.
The hospital security team, who had been briefed on the situation, immediately stepped between us.
"Ma'am, you need to leave the premises immediately," the guard told Brenda.
Brenda started screaming about grandparents' rights, creating a massive scene in front of patients and staff.
I didn't stop moving.
I got into the waiting black SUV with my father, locking the doors securely behind me.
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As we drove away, I saw Ryan arguing with the photographer, who was demanding payment for the wasted trip.
They had tried to use my son as a prop to salvage their reputation, but they only ended up looking completely desperate.
