"No." I heard a whisper. I whipped my head in Abby's direction, unclear if I had heard right. She couldn't be saying no, right? After Richard, she bonded more with Chayara.
Richard was just as surprised as I was. The finality in her voice was frightening. It was the voice of a woman fed up of the pain and the twists and turns. She sounded like a woman finally done.
"No? No to what Mum?" Richard asked, his tone mirroring my surprise and confusion.
Abby sat up, exhaled and calmly said. "You heard me. You are not fighting for custody of Chayara. As a matter of fact, they can come scoop her up now. Nothing is stopping them."
I saw his dad's body go tense. "Abby, she is our granddaughter. How can you say that?"
