I lay in bed, the first night I hadn't slept at all.

Lynley no longer clung to me; he adored sticking with Keith.

Keith, in turn, showed more patience, picking him up from school and sleeping with him at night.

And Acelynn was always involved.

Lynley’s eyes gradually lost sight of me as his mother. He ignored me and even refused my touch.

The pent-up emotions nearly overwhelmed me.

I grabbed Lynley’s arm, crouched in front of him, and asked,

“Why are you so cold to Mommy? Lynley, do you want a different mommy?”

I was just angry, speaking without thinking.

But Lynley responded firmly,

“You’re a bad mom. I...