PART 2 — THE CHRISTMAS THEY CAME FOR MY HOUSE
I stared at Michael through the security monitor.
My son still had one hand wrapped around the iron gate.
Jennifer stood behind him with her arms crossed.
Lisa looked between the camera and the security officer as if she were waiting for someone to announce that this was all a misunderstanding.
It wasn’t.
“Ma’am?” the officer asked again. “Would you like me to remove them from the property?”
I pressed the intercom button.
“Yes.”
Michael’s head snapped toward the camera.
“Mom!”
The security officer stepped closer.
“Sir, please step away from the gate.”
Michael dropped to the ground, but he didn’t move toward his truck.
Instead, he marched directly toward the intercom.
“You’re seriously throwing your own children out?”
I almost laughed.
The strange thing was, three months earlier, hearing that anger in his voice would have frightened me.
I would have apologized.
I would have unlocked the gate.
