Chapter 5 - The Knock at the Door
Breakfast was a quiet, peaceful affair.
Lily finally woke up and padded slowly into the bright kitchen.
She ate a large plate of scrambled eggs and bacon with sleepy enthusiasm.
For a brief, beautiful hour, the house felt like a perfectly normal home.
Then, a heavy, aggressive pounding echoed suddenly from the front door.
The harsh sound shattered the fragile peace instantly.
Drew dropped his fork, the metal clanging sharply against his ceramic plate.
All the color drained completely from the young boy's face.
Lily let out a terrified whimper and quickly hid beneath the wooden kitchen table.
Peter felt a cold spike of adrenaline flood his veins.
He knew exactly who was standing on his front porch.
"Drew, listen to me very carefully," Peter said, his voice low and steady.
"Take Lily and go straight into the hallway bathroom."
"Lock the heavy door and do not come out until I tell you it is safe."
Drew nodded frantically, grabbing his little sister's small hand.
The two children scrambled down the hall and disappeared from sight.
The bathroom door clicked shut with a solid, reassuring lock.
The pounding on the front door grew louder and more frantic.
"Peter! Open this door right now!" a shrill, furious voice screamed.
It was Sarah, his estranged sister and the children's mother.
Peter walked slowly into the living room, his fists clenched tight at his sides.
He did not reach for the brass doorknob.
He stood firmly behind the heavy wooden door, staring at the locked deadbolt.
"Go away, Sarah," Peter commanded, his deep voice booming through the thick wood.
"I know they are in there with you!" Sarah shrieked from the front porch.
"They are my kids, and you are going to hand them over!"
"They are not going anywhere with you," Peter replied with cold, hard finality.
"You locked them in a dark basement without any food."
"Drew had to crawl through a broken glass window just to keep them safe."
There was a brief, stunned silence from the other side of the door.
Then, Sarah began kicking the bottom of the wooden frame violently.
"I will call the police and tell them you kidnapped my children!" she threatened loudly.
Just as the terrible words left her mouth, Peter's cell phone vibrated in his pocket.
He pulled it out and saw Mark's name flashing brightly on the screen.
Peter answered the call, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the rattling front door.
"We have it," Mark announced breathlessly over the phone.
"The judge signed the emergency protective order exactly five minutes ago."
"You have full temporary custody of both children, effective immediately."
A massive wave of profound relief washed over Peter, loosening the tight knot in his chest.
"Call the police, Sarah," Peter spoke loudly toward the door, holding the phone near his chest.
"My lawyer just got the emergency custody order signed by a local judge."
"If you are still standing on my property when the cops arrive, you will be arrested."
The violent kicking stopped abruptly.
Heavy footsteps stomped angrily down the wooden porch stairs.
Peter listened as the sound of a revving car engine faded down the quiet street.
He let out a long, shaky breath and leaned his forehead against the cool wood of the door.
May you like
The first major battle was finally over.
The children were legally safe.
