At first, Laura did not hear the phone ring. The noises the kids were making as she got them ready for school was so deafening that she could not hear her thoughts. Her mind was on the incident that had happened between Christian and Rian only a few hours before. It was an episode in her life that she certainly did not want it to repeat anytime soon.

“Stop it,” she yelled at one of the kids who was for a reason that was known to only him, jumping on top of the bed instead of allowing her button up his school shirt.

The little boy stopped for a moment,...