Blue and red lights flashed through the blinds as the knock on the door turned into pounding. You barely had time to answer before the cops were in your living room, reading rights you knew too well.

Your son peeked around the corner, eyes wide, clutching his stuffed dinosaur. Your heart cracked.

“Hey, baby,” you said softly, kneeling to his level as cuffs clicked behind your back. “Mommy did a bad thing… and now the cops have to put me in timeout.”

Tears welled in his eyes. “Are you going to jail?”

“I’ll be gone for a little while,” you whispered, brushing hair from his forehead with your shoulder. “But guess what? You’re going to stay with Daddy. Remember Daddy Carl?”

He nodded, lip trembling.

“He’s coming to get you. He loves you so much, and he’s gonna take care of you until Mommy gets back, okay? You’re gonna be safe.”

You were loaded into the back of the cruiser before they let you use the phone.

Your ex, Carl, picked up on the second ring, voice rough. “What the hell’s going on?”

You sighed, tears hot. “I’m so sorry, Carl. I messed up… again. I—there was a warrant. Dumb mistake, I swear. Can you… can you take him?”

There was silence. Then a gruff breath. “Yeah. Yeah, I got him.”

“I’m sorry,” you repeated, voice cracking. “I never wanted this to happen. I—God, I’m sorry.”

“You done apologizing?” he asked. “He needs you calm. Not falling apart.”

You bit your lip. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. He’s my kid too. We’ll be fine. You just do your time and fix your shit.”

You hung up just as the car pulled away, your son’s face framed in the front window, small hand waving goodbye.