Chapter 13 - Family Sides
The Callahan family split.
Naturally.
One aunt:
Walter made terrible mistake but should not be criminalized.
One cousin:
He intentionally burned children.
One uncle:
Reid started violence.
All partly attached to facts.
Social media almost made it worse.
My cousin Brooke posted:
“Protect kids even when abuser is family.”
No names.
Everyone knew.
Another relative commented:
“Some people should learn full story before destroying elders.”
Then screenshots.
I called Brooke.
“Take it down.”
“Why? I’m defending Lily.”
“You’re using her.”
Silence.
I had learned from sending a family message in another life? Not our story. Here, no prior. But we can show restraint based on lawyers.
“She’s five. She doesn’t need cousins building content around her.”
Brooke deleted.
Then apologized.
Good.
We issued no public family statement.
Walter’s criminal case was public record eventually.
No need to turn Lily into campaign.
School knew only what safety required.
Ava and I agreed:
No photographs of burn shared outside lawyers/medical.
No relatives asking Lily for story.
If someone wanted facts:
Ask adults.
May you like
That boundary reduced chaos.
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