Chapter 2 - DEFENDING A PATTERN
I had spent weeks defending my mother against Clara's mounting concerns. When Clara noticed the nursery camera only disconnected when my mother was alone, I blamed the router; when her medication vanished twice, I assumed exhaustion made us careless; and when my mother posted smiling pictures calling her visits "the greatest joy of her life," I believed she was simply proud. I had been explaining away a toxic pattern because accepting the truth meant admitting I had invited a monster into our home. On the screen, Clara tried to push herself upright, her arm shaking before she sank back against the crib while my mother smiled with the quiet satisfaction of total control.
