“Don’t get involved.”

Patricia’s jaw tightened. “When you have your baby, you’ll understand. A child needs its mother.”

Paige looked at me, then at Ivy and Lily.

“No,” she said. “Being pregnant is exactly why I understand how cruel you’re being.”

Lucas moved beside her, calm but firm.

“Our child is going to need both of us,” he said.

Patricia laughed once. “Of course. But mothers are different.”

“No,” Lucas said. “That’s where this ends.”

“When you have your baby, you’ll understand.”

The crowd went quiet.

“I’m not letting Paige spend her first year as a mother being told she has to carry everything alone,” he said. “And I’m not letting our child grow up hearing fathers are optional.”

Patricia flushed. “So, you’re keeping me from my grandchild?”

“I’m telling you where the line is,” Lucas said. “Respect both parents, or don’t bring that attitude into our home. You threatened this man’s home, Patricia. Do you see how wrong that is?”

“So, you’re keeping me from my grandchild?”

Paige wiped her cheek. “Mom, if something happened to me, I’d pray Lucas fought this hard for our baby.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Why not?” Paige asked. “He lost his wife. You knew it, and you used it against him.”

Patricia pointed at me. “He had no right.”

“I had no good option,” I said. “There’s a difference.”

The security guard arrived with a mall manager.

“He lost his wife.”

Patricia lifted her chin. “This man entered the women’s restroom.”

I shifted Lily higher. “Because the men’s room had no table, the family restroom in this wing was closed, and the East Wing was 15 minutes away. I announced myself, apologized, and used the only clean surface available.”

The guard nodded. “He asked me first. I told him the East Wing was 15 minutes away.”

A woman near the door said, “He wasn’t bothering anyone. She was the one yelling.”

An older woman folded her arms. “He was changing babies, not robbing a bank.”

“He wasn’t bothering anyone.”

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.”

“I’d like to file a complaint.”

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 went quiet.

Patricia had wanted me to be 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.”

“This should never have happened.”

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.”

Patricia looked around.

“You owe him an apology.”

“I didn’t know about your wife at first,” she said stiffly.

I held Ivy and Lily closer. “You shouldn’t have needed to.”

Her face went pale.

Paige’s voice softened. “Mom, I love you. But if you ever treat Lucas like he’s less important than me in our child’s life, we’re going to have a problem.”

“You’d keep me away over this?”

“No,” Paige said. “I’d protect my child from someone who thinks fathers are backup parents.”

Patricia had nothing left to say.

“I didn’t know about your wife at first.”

For the first time since she had walked into that restroom, Patricia looked small. Not because anyone had shouted louder, but because everyone had finally heard her clearly.

***

In the staff room, I finished zipping Lily’s sleeper.

Paige appeared in the doorway with my wipes. “These fell out.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m sorry for my mom.”

“You didn’t do it.”

“These fell out.”

Lucas stood beside her. “I’ll make sure the complaint gets heard.”

“Put my name on it too,” I said, looking down at my daughters. “I don’t want another dad standing in that hallway like I did.”

***

Later, I bought the yellow sleepers.

At home, I laid them in their cribs.

“Put my name on it too.”

I kissed my wedding ring.

“We made it through today, Claire,” I whispered.

Then I looked at my daughters.

“Tomorrow, we’ll try again.”

For the first time since the funeral, I believed we could.