Chapter 4 - “FAMILY CARE”
At 8:03 the next morning, I called Northstar Fiduciary.
By 9:20, I was sitting across from an attorney named Rebecca Sloan and a trust officer named Mark Ellis.
Rebecca placed a stack of records between us.
“You didn’t submit these?”
“No.”
“Do you recognize the signature?”
I looked.
MEGAN FOSTER.
Mine.
Except not.
The shape was mine.
Exactly mine.
Too exactly.
Same tiny break in the M.
Same long loop in the F.
Copied.
“What are these?”
“Family respite-care reimbursements.”
“My mother does not provide paid respite.”
“According to the requests, Sophie spends between fourteen and eighteen nights per month at Linda Foster’s residence.”
I almost laughed.
“Sophie has never spent eighteen nights in a month anywhere except my house.”
Mark turned the file.
Claimed services:
Overnight supervision.
Transportation.
Meal support.
Behavioral management.
Homework assistance.
Medication monitoring.
“Sophie doesn’t take daily medication.”
Rebecca looked up.
“What?”
“She has seasonal allergies. That’s it.”
The form listed:
Medication supervision—daily.
I stared.
“Who submitted these?”
“Family portal.”
“Which user?”
“Linda Foster was registered as approved respite provider eighteen months ago.”
“I didn’t approve that.”
Rebecca slid over another form.
My signature.
Copied again.
Then secondary provider:
Natalie Brooks.
My sister.
My stomach dropped.
“How much?”
Mark answered.
“Total family-care reimbursements to Linda and Natalie over twenty-four months: one hundred eighteen thousand four hundred dollars.”
The room disappeared around me.
“From Sophie’s trust?”
“Yes.”
“What for?”
“Primarily care and household support.”
“Household support where?”
“Your mother’s address.”
The house I was paying for.
I stood.
Then sat again because my knees did not trust me.
“Who reviewed this?”
“Prior relationship manager.”
“Prior?”
“He left Northstar six months ago. There were documentation weaknesses in several accounts. We’ve been doing a review.”
“Why didn’t anyone call me?”
Rebecca answered.
“The portal requests contained your authorization and were consistent with an approved family-care plan.”
“What family-care plan?”
Another document.
Megan works extensive hospital hours.
Sophie regularly resides with maternal grandmother Linda Foster.
Linda provides primary after-school and weekend care.
Natalie provides auxiliary supervision.
The plan characterized me as:
“Frequently unavailable due to occupational demands.”
I stared.
“What the hell is this?”
Rebecca remained calm.
“That is why we need you to tell us.”
At the bottom was my electronic signature.
Date:
Sixteen months earlier.
That date mattered.
I had been in Chicago.
A three-day conference.
Mom watched Sophie for two nights.
I remembered.
Natalie had asked for a copy of my driver’s license because Mom’s pharmacy needed it to pick up an allergy prescription.
Had she?
I no longer knew.
Mark said:
“There’s something else.”
I looked at him.
“Of course.”
“The trust terms require an independent family-function review when Sophie turns nine.”
“When?”
“Four months.”
“What happens?”
“A beneficiary interview. Residence confirmation. Caregiver review. Updated guardian nominations if appropriate.”
My skin went cold.
“Guardian?”
May you like
Rebecca leaned forward.
“Ms. Foster, has anyone discussed changing Sophie’s guardian?”
