A mother knows

Sarah stood there with her face pressed up against the window screaming for her son.

The nurses were frantically trying to sedate her and remove Charles from the room.

The sun was shinning through the church windows illuminating the alter as Sarah and her father's arms were looped while they each took a step in since towards Charles nervous stance. Beside him stood his brother Eric with the ring in his pocket. Ahead of Sarah her sister Maria strolled down the aisle like a pro. The pews were filled with family and friends adorned in their best suits and flowing gowns. Just as she was inches away from the alter and the pastor about to ask who gives this woman the sun rays were directly upon her. Charles reached his hand out to take hers, chills ran through her entire body. She turned to find her mothers eyes, hers locked with Sarah's. Unspoken emotions shouted filled the room and caused a gasp from all pews.

During the reception just after the traditional father daughter dance Sarah asked for a chair for her parents to sit and with tears in her eyes she read from a loose leaf paper she hand printed.

Her intent was not to cause the ladies attending makeup to ruin or the men to choke on their drink, she simply wanted to honor the two most important people in her life as she began her life separate from theirs.

Sarah and Charles started dating while still in middle school. At such a young age their dating consisted of meeting up with other neighborhood kids to go for a bike ride, play stick ball, shoot hoops , laughing about an event that took place that day in school or simply fill in one another of what happened that day in school.

If the weather was not cooperating or they just wanted to be still they would hang around on Sarah's stoop. Her parents knew most of the kids by name through their parents. Sarah's mother seemed to have an unlimited supply of snacks, her father always needed a hand with something in or around the house.

The older Sarah and Charles grew the group of kids lessened. Some moved, some paired off and the rest watched as their relationship moved forward.

Sarah's mother adored how Charles treated her daughter and her father respected the man he was becoming. Tragedy struck Charles family during their last year of high school. His parents were in a terrible car accident claiming their lives. He could have moved many miles away to live with an aunt but he needed Sarah and her parents more than an aunt he hardly knew. Having watched Charles grow up and knowing how his parents raised him neither worried about inappropriate behavior.

Charles was an only child who inherited the family home and business, a lucrative mortgage lending company. Sarah's parents stepped in while he finished school, maintaining the house and outsourcing for the business. The summer after graduation Charles and Sarah learned everything about mortgages and continued the companies growth together. He proposed to her just after the new year, they were married the start of summer.

Two years later they were starting a family of their own.

Charles jr, a.k.a Jr was the center of their universe. When he started to walk is when Sarah changed. She became obsessed with his safety. Most parents desire is to keep their children safe but none went tot he extent she would.

Strangers could not help themselves when they saw his platinum blonde curly hair, big round blue eyes nestled upon his chubby olive colored face. He was the spitting image of Charles' father. Along with his adorable looks he always had a smile on his face. He was walking at 9 months and fully communicating at his first birthday party. Family and friends were pushing Charles and Sarah to place him in a special gifted program, they recognized his abilities but needed him to just be their little boy. At three they could no longer hold Jr back, Charles started looking into programs that would nourish him.

Sarah became argumentative and distant towards even her parents. She did not want to send her baby to any program, she knew she ought to but could not bare the thought of it. She feared he would out grow his need for her or worse that he would be taken from her and groomed for things she could never comprehend.

She started keeping him from family and friends and breathing strangers that would stop to talk to him.

Charles tried reason with her but she would argue that all "they" wanted was to take her son away from her.

Charles resorted to lying, when he would take Jr to be evaluated from scholars he lead Sarah to believe it was a day at the park, fishing, playing ball or outings to the zoo. Simple father son bonding he would say. Of course Jr would tell his mom all about the nice man or lady that would ask him questions. He was always so proud at himself that he always had the right answers and that he could sign his name more legible than she.

Sarah became convinced that he was going to be taken away from her. She became so obsessed Charlie and her parents after many conversations felt they had no choice weather or not to have her committed and gain the help they could not provide.

She would become more agitated not being able to watch over her son which had the medical professionals convinced she needed long term commitment. After cooperating and complying for a month she was allotted an hour visitation with Charles and Jr.

The day they chose to visit was a glorious spring day, flowers in full bloom, birds chirping, bees buzzing and the sun gleaming upon the blossoming trees. Charles brought books a baseball and mitt to occupy Jr. He grew bored of the books and just wanted to interact with his mom. He was thrilled when the man in the white over coat informed him his mother would be joining him on the lawn soon. He ran through the lawn shouting that it was so cool that his mother could catch a ball. Sarah heard him from her room window and looked out to see he was running alone, she did not see Charles in other direction she looked. Before she could holler his name a black SUV pulled up, two women dressed business attire gout and walked straight towards Jr.