"Step back from the pop filter," Ethan said, tapping the glass separating the control room from the sound booth. "You're treating the microphone like an interrogator."
I loosened my grip on the script. The padded walls absorbed every sound, making my pulse pound in my ears.
"I've never done this professionally," I told him, adjusting the heavy headphones. "My audience usually falls asleep halfway through."
"That's exactly the goal," Ethan replied. "The professional voice actors I brought in sounded like they were selling toys. I don't want a sales pitch. I want authenticity."
"It feels strange," I admitted. "Talking into a machine instead of holding my son."
"Imagine he's right there," Ethan said. "Just him. Ignore me. Forget the equipment, Grace. Don't perform. Just use the exact rhythm you use when you put your kid to sleep."
Lucas used to tap his watch when I took too long with Ben's stories. Ethan just leaned back in his chair and waited.
I closed my eyes. I pictured Ben's face, the way his eyelids fluttered when he fought sleep.
"Beyond the edge of the milky way," I read, letting my voice drop into a soft, steady cadence. "The little star cruiser found a quiet place to rest."
When I finished the final line, silence stretched across the studio. I opened my eyes.
Ethan stared at me through the glass. He pressed the button. "That's the one. We don't even need a second take."
I stepped out of the booth. "It wasn't too flat?"
"It was perfect." Ethan slid a printed contract across the soundboard. "I'm offering a fifty-fifty split on all ad revenue. Co-creator credit. You own your voice."
"Why fifty-fifty?" I asked, scanning the single-page document. "You built the studio. You're doing the editing and the marketing."
"Because without your voice, I have no product," Ethan said, leaning against the doorframe. "I know talent when I hear it. Plus, I want you invested. If this takes off, we'll need a new episode every week."
"I have a day job at the training center."
"Record on the weekends. Or after your shifts. You set the pace."
I picked up the pen resting beside the soundboard. I signed my name at the bottom of the page.
The next morning, the espresso machine hissed loudly over the rush at the corner cafe. I tapped play on the audio file Ethan had just emailed me, checking the final edits for the pilot episode.
My phone buzzed, pausing the track. A new notification appeared on the screen. A three-minute voicemail from Lucas, timestamped from the previous night.
I raised my coffee cup and pressed the phone to my ear.
"Grace, pick up," Lucas snapped over the line. "Ben is screaming and I can't find his blue blanket. The one with the frayed edge. Where did you hide it? Call me back."
He didn't hit end.
"I can't find the cheese grater!" Sophie yelled in the background. "I tried making mac and cheese from scratch, but the pot boiled over. It's a disaster in here. I'm just ordering takeout."
"Takeout again?" Lucas snapped. "We had takeout yesterday."
"Well, I don't know where she keeps anything in this kitchen!"
Then came the high-pitched wail of my son. "I don't want takeout! I want my blanket! I want my real mommy's stories!"
"Ben, stop yelling," Lucas groaned. "My head is pounding. Sophie, just read him the book. The one on the nightstand."
"He won't let me near him!"
"Just be patient with him!"
"I am a music teacher, Lucas!" Sophie screamed, her voice cracking with hysteria. "I am not here to be your full-time nanny! I can't deal with this. Figure it out yourself!"
"Sophie, walk back here right now!"
Heavy footsteps stomped across the hardwood. The front door slammed so hard the phone microphone clipped, cutting the audio into a harsh burst of static.
The line went dead.
I lowered the phone, placing it flat on the wooden table. I took a slow sip of my coffee.
My screen lit up again. A text from Lucas arrived.
The message read: Ben was a nightmare last night. Sophie left. You set this up to fail by hiding his things. I know you're upset about the other day at the school, but punishing our son is crossing a line. I'm willing to be the bigger person here. If you come back to the house today and apologize for your attitude yesterday, I'll forgive you and we can move past this.
I read the text twice.
He actually believed he held the power. He thought I was playing a game, waiting for an invitation to return to my own ruined life.
I opened my email application. I attached the final audio file Ethan had just sent over. I typed Mrs. Higgins into the recipient line.
I typed: Hi Mrs. Higgins. Could you play this for Ben during nap time? Just to see if it helps him settle. Thank you.
I hit send.
Then, I switched back to Lucas's text thread. My thumbs moved rapidly over the keyboard.
I typed: Please contact my lawyer to discuss visitation details.
I pressed send. I tapped his contact name, scrolled to the bottom of the screen, and hit Block Caller.
Seven days later, Goodnight from the Clouds went live on all major streaming platforms.
I stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of my new apartment, watching the city traffic crawl along the avenue below. My laptop rested on the kitchen island, the screen glowing brightly in the dim room.
I hit refresh on the analytics dashboard.
Five hundred downloads in the first hour. Two thousand by noon. Five thousand by sunset.
A link to the show had circulated through the district's parent groups. Ethan had executed the marketing flawlessly, targeting local forums and kindergarten networks. The comments section below the episode filled up faster than I could read.
"My toddler actually stayed in bed," one user wrote.
"Finally, a voice that doesn't grate on my nerves," wrote another.
"She sounds like someone who actually loves kids."
I traced the edge of the laptop trackpad. For the first time in weeks, a genuine smile touched my face. I had built something my own.
My phone buzzed against the quartz countertop, shattering the quiet.
An email from David Thorne, my divorce attorney.
I picked up the device and opened the message.
The text read: Grace. The process server just delivered the summons to Lucas at his office. The judge scheduled the preliminary custody hearing for the twenty-eighth of this month.
I read the lines twice, my heart thumping a steady rhythm against my ribs. The waiting game was over.
The email continued: Attached is the counter-filing we received from his legal team.
I tapped the PDF icon at the bottom of the screen. The document loaded, displaying Lucas's signature at the bottom of a petition demanding full legal and physical custody of Ben.
