Chapter 9 - THE HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM TRUTH
While Evelyn was processed at the station and subsequently transferred to a psychiatric evaluation unit at St. Agnes Medical Center under judicial order, Renata and I sat in the kitchen over cups of cold tea while contractors boarded up the shattered glass door. Renata finally explained the full, tragic history of her mother’s illness.
“It started with dementia, but it warped into paranoid delusions,” Renata explained, wiping a tear from her cheek. “She became convinced I was keeping the kids away out of spite, and her obsession turned violent. The court order was our only shield. If you hadn't held the line today... I don't want to think about what she would have done.” I reached across the table, squeezing her hand. “The lighthouse stood, Renata. The kids remembered.”
