Wildflower

Chapter 6: Legal lines and New paths

It starts like any other quiet afternoon. Luna is napping peacefully in her crib, and I'm sitting at the kitchen table, sipping tea and flipping through renovation ideas for the spa. The baby monitor crackles softly beside me, a reminder of the calm before the inevitable storm.

I'm trying to enjoy the moment, but the thought of Matheo is never far from my mind. His constant messages, the emotional whiplash between anger and false sweetness, have worn me down over the past few weeks. I know he's not going to stop—he never does. But for now, at least, I can pretend everything is fine.

The peace shatters with a loud, insistent knock at the door.

I freeze, the teacup halfway to my lips. My heart jumps into my throat. Another knock—louder, more aggressive this time. I know that knock.

Matheo.

My body goes cold, and my hand starts to shake as I set the cup down. Luna stirs on the monitor, a soft whimper escaping her tiny lips. I stand up slowly, trying to gather my thoughts, but my mind is racing. Why is he here? How did he find me?

Another knock—no, a pounding now. "Stella! Open the door!" His voice slices through the air, and I can already hear the anger bubbling beneath the surface.

I don't move. My legs feel like they're glued to the floor. If I stay quiet, maybe he'll leave. Maybe he'll think I'm not here.

But he doesn't leave. He never does.

"I know you're in there!" Matheo's voice is sharp, angry. "Open the door, or I swear I'll break it down!"

My heart pounds so hard it feels like it might burst out of my chest. Luna's soft cries grow louder in the monitor. She can feel it too—the tension, the fear.

I have to protect her.

Taking a deep breath, I make my way to the front door but stop a few feet away. I can see his shadow through the frosted glass, pacing back and forth, his anger palpable even from this distance.

"What do you want, Matheo?" I call out, trying to keep my voice steady. But I can hear the tremor, the fear leaking through. I can't let him hear how scared I am.

"What do I want?" he shouts back, incredulous. "I want to see my daughter! You think you can just take her away from me? You don't get to make that decision, Stella!"

I swallow hard, my grip tightening on the doorframe. "You're not seeing her today, Matheo. Leave."

"Leave?" His voice rises, the anger simmering to a boil. "She's my daughter too! You think you can just shut me out? Keep her away from me?"

I take a step back, the weight of his words pressing down on me. He's not going to stop. He's not going to let me go. I can feel the panic rising, the familiar suffocating sensation of being trapped.

"Matheo, you need to leave," I repeat, trying to sound firmer, but my voice wavers. "You're scaring Luna."

"Good! Maybe she should be scared!" he snaps. "She should know what kind of mother you are—keeping her father away from her!"

His words stab at me, each one sharper than the last. Luna's cries grow louder, and my hands begin to shake. I glance down at my phone on the kitchen counter, my fingers itching to call for help, but the fear of provoking him holds me back.

"I'm not keeping her from you," I say, trying to stay calm. "But you can't just show up like this."

"I'll do whatever the hell I want!" Matheo yells, banging on the door again. "You don't get to decide when I see my daughter! I'll take you to court, Stella! You'll lose everything—you know that, right? You can't survive without me. You never could."