Lucas faced the manager. “I’d like to file a complaint.”
“Against him?” Patricia snapped.
“No,” Lucas said. “Against the mall. Fathers deserve to be seen too.”
Lucas glanced at me, then faced the manager again.
“I want the complaint number,” he said. “I’m following up.”
The manager looked at the twins. “You’re right. This should never have happened.”
Patricia scoffed. “He broke the rules.”
“No,” the manager said. “He responded to a lack of facilities. You escalated it.”
The hallway fell quiet.
Patricia had wanted me to become the problem. Now everyone could see she was.
The manager turned to me. “Sir, we have a private staff room nearby. There’s a clean table, chairs, and privacy.”
My throat tightened. “Thank you. I just need them dry and calm.”
Paige stepped toward her mother. “You owe him an apology.”
Patricia’s mouth opened. “I owe him?”
“Yes,” Paige said. “You told a grieving father his babies needed a mother. You threatened his housing. Then you called security on him for changing diapers.”
