“I canceled my appointment because Brandon had a meeting.”
Her voice became firm.
“Strong mothers still need care. Do you have enough formula and diapers?”
“Barely.”
“Order them. I’m coming over.”
I opened our joint account to check the balance and froze.
Brandon had taken two thousand dollars from our emergency savings. The charges included a cabin, boat fees, fuel, and supplies.
The previous week, he had claimed we could not afford even one afternoon of childcare.
“The trip,” I whispered. “He paid for it with our emergency money.”
Dawn told me to screenshot every transaction.
Then she said, “Buy the formula. The babies come first. Brandon can explain the money when he gets home.”
Dawn arrived with food and an overnight bag. She did not defend her son. She washed her hands, picked up Lila, and asked what I needed.
With Summer and Dawn helping, I finally slept for six hours.
