17 February 2026, Freewriters Community Daily Writing Prompt Day 3017: show her!

“Oh, so Bad Grandma didn't get enough the first time coming over here acting a fool – OK. I don't play about mine and you belong to us now, Glendella – this other person with your name is just going to have to give it up because NO!”

Eight-year-old Edwina Ludlow was riled up about her cousin and new adopted sister ten-year-old Glendella Ludlow, and fed up with Glendella's biological grandmother, Mrs. Glendella Ludlow, just on camera talking about everything that had happened from her viewpoint and not knowing what to do to get her family back.

“It's like I know where people are and could go get them, but there are so many obstacles and things.”

That had ticked Edwina off, since the last time Big Glendella had seen Baby Glendella, she had swung on the child, hence earning the name Bad Grandma ...or really securing it, because everybody already know how Glendale and Sylvia Ludlow had left their daughter with Glendale's parents, and Astor – also known as Grumps, not Gramps – and Big Glendella Ludlow had done enough to keep up appearances but no more. Baby Glendella was fed and clothed and educated well, but unloved.

Glendella had struck out on her own to get to the one Ludlow cousin not afraid of Astor: Capt. R.E. Ludlow, who had adopted his seven natural grandchildren – and, sure enough, added Glendella by adoption. He was now Upgrade Papa to Glendella, and came right through.

“At ease,” Capt. Ludlow said as he came in to see what Edwina was going on about. “Baby Glendella is ours. Big Glendella is just talking to get sympathy for her exit to a new life. She dare not come over here – she dare not!”

“Yeah, I know where Andrew's plastic bat is!” Edwina said.

Glendella was just glad for the hug Edwina already had her in being added to by the six-foot-three captain, and he turned off the broadcast before even joining the hug of the two little girls.

“Listen,” he said. “Learn how to ignore people making unnecessary noise. Learn how to tune them all the way out, because they don't matter. You matter. You are safe here. Folks that make noise make noise. We keep moving.”

“She's just mad because she's not getting any of the money from the Ludlow Historical Soda Company any more and that Big Uncle Tarquin is not cutting her and Grumps back in,” Glendella said.

“And she can make noise while Tarquin IV and I make money to provide for your future, Baby Glendella,” Capt. Ludlow said.

“But what if she tries to kidnap Glendella and hold her for ransom?” Edwina said.

“I mean, I am kinda worried about it, because there was this thing that Cousin Eleagabus once pulled because he was mad about the divorce,” Glendella said.

“Say what?” Capt. Ludlow said.

“It was a whole situation,” Glendella said, and then proceeded to tell a story so sordid that Capt. Ludlow realized that she could only tell it calmly because she was still too young to recognize all the implications of the situation. She was just worried about being kidnapped. It could be worse.

“I need you to tell your new cousin, police captain H.F. Lee,” Capt. Ludlow said.

“Oh, he's my cousin now? He was the one who supposedly came out to shut it down, but I only heard Grumps talking about it and was mad because 'nobody needed this bleeding-heart double of Robert E. Lee to be stunting on us because he is a Lee and we are 'just Ludlows.'”

“That wasn't why Cousin Harry was stunting on them – he was breaking those people down because they needed it – they were begging for it!” Edwina said.

Capt. Ludlow opened up his laptop and started searching court documents.

“Well, it looks like everybody who needs to be in jail on that situation is,” he said. “However, let's tell Cousin Harry about all this anyway.”

The police captain came home a few hours later, and calmly listened to the stories of the day, and then smiled slightly.

“It will interest you to know what happened in the back half of that broadcast you turned off,” he said. “Mrs. Glendella Ludlow got a phone that had her calling me because Mr. Tarquin Ludlow IV told her she had better sit down and shut up call before he started pulling out all the money stops, and it happened on speaker phone on the broadcast. She wanted him arrested for terroristic behavior, but we declined. Uppity Foolery Watch clipped it all, and it is being viewed and enjoyed at viral levels.”

Edwina fell out laughing – “That'll show her!” she said – and Glendella sighed with relief.

“She's going to be quiet from here, the way she loves money and status,” Glendella said.

“Yep,” Capt. Ludlow said.

“I think we and Sgt. Trent and Mr. Stepforth should have a security conversation in light of these developments, R.E.,” Cousin Harry said, and he and Capt. Ludlow watched as the two little girls calmed down completely.

“Yes, let's do that,” Capt. Ludlow said, “and be prepared for all events.”

“See, I told you that you were safe here!” Edwina said to Glendella as the two men walked over to the Trent house.

“Wow, yeah,” Glendella said. “Yeah. Finally safe.”