Chapter 5 - Why Nora Lost Custody
Nora did not lose Elodie because she did not love her.
She lost day-to-day custody during the worst eighteen months of her life.
Graham died in a construction accident.
Nora spiraled.
Depression.
Prescription sedative misuse.
Missed work.
Two emergency-room visits.
Then one incident where she left three-year-old Elodie with a neighbor overnight and could not be reached.
Child services became involved.
Nora entered treatment voluntarily.
Sabine was Elodie’s godmother.
Stable.
Wealthy.
Known to the child.
She offered temporary care.
That part was good.
The court approved temporary guardianship while Nora completed treatment.
Nora did.
Residential program.
Outpatient follow-up.
Sobriety monitoring.
Employment.
Therapy.
Supervised visitation.
Then unsupervised visits.
The original goal was reunification.
Not adoption.
Not permanent transfer.
But Sabine became attached.
Elodie became attached too.
That was not wrongdoing.
Attachment happens.
The problem started when Nora improved.
Sabine began opposing increased contact.
She argued instability.
Then school disruption.
Then emotional regression.
Some of Elodie’s difficulties were real.
Transitions upset her.
She had nightmares after visits.
A therapist documented them.
But the therapist also wrote:
Symptoms may reflect attachment disruption and loyalty conflict rather than evidence that maternal contact is inherently harmful.
May you like
Sabine quoted the first half.
Ignored the second.
