When she glanced back into the room, Olivia was feeding her baby while her mother spoke softly into her phone. However, when the mother stepped out, Elise overheard her saying angrily, “Tell him not to make a scene.” Elise froze halfway down the hall. Him could only mean Olivia’s father. The word scene sounded like a warning.
Elise imagined the worst: a man unwilling to face what his daughter had done, the kind who slammed doors and shouted instead of offering help. She’d seen too many girls like Olivia—young, frightened, left to carry both the baby and the blame.