Chapter 4: The First Night Apart
I didn’t go back to the house that night.
After being discharged from the hospital, my father drove me to a hotel near the base. He had already arranged for a military family advocate and a lawyer who specialized in domestic violence cases involving service members. Everything moved faster than I expected, probably because of my father’s rank and connections.
I lay on the hotel bed, staring at the ceiling while my father sat in the armchair by the window, still in his uniform. He hadn’t changed since morning.
“Grant tried to call you six times,” he said quietly. “I had your number forwarded to me.”
I didn’t respond.
My father continued, “He also called Evelyn. She’s at her sister’s house now. The police told her not to go back to the house either.”
I turned my head to look at him.
“What happens now?” I asked.
My father was quiet for a moment before answering.
“Tomorrow, we file for a temporary protective order. Because Grant is active duty, the military will also open an investigation. His command will be notified. Depending on the evidence, he could face disciplinary action under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.”
He looked at me seriously.
“This is going to get ugly, Claire. Grant’s family will try to protect him. They might try to paint you as unstable or say you’re exaggerating because of the pregnancy. We need to be ready for that.”
I placed my hand on my belly. The baby had been moving a lot today, as if sensing my stress.
“I’m scared,” I admitted. “Not just for me… but for the baby. What if he tries to take the baby away?”
My father’s expression hardened.
“He won’t,” he said firmly. “Not if I have anything to say about it. And not with the evidence we have.”
He leaned forward slightly.
“But Claire… I need you to be honest with me. Has this happened before? Before you got pregnant?”
I hesitated, then nodded slowly.
“It started about a year after we got married,” I said quietly. “At first it was just yelling. Then he started grabbing me. Shoving me. It got worse after I got pregnant. He said I was too emotional, that I was making him stressed. Evelyn kept telling me it was normal, that all marriages have rough patches.”
My father closed his eyes for a second, as if absorbing the pain.
When he opened them again, his voice was low.
“I should have protected you better.”
I shook my head.
“You didn’t know.”
“I should have known,” he said. “I’m your father.”
We sat in silence for a while.
Then my father spoke again.
“Tomorrow, we’re going to start building a case. Photos, medical records, witness statements, everything. And I’m going to make sure Grant understands that if he comes anywhere near you or that baby, he will regret it.”
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I looked at my father — the man who had always been strict but fair, the man who rarely showed emotion but had driven three hours the moment he sensed something was wrong.
For the first time in a long while, I felt like I had someone truly on my side.
