Chapter 5 - Paige
Paige Morgan was thirty-one.
Four years younger than Vivian.
Nora was her daughter.
Paige was alive.
That mattered.
She was also in a residential substance-use treatment program in Connecticut.
Six weeks earlier, after a relapse involving prescription opioids and alcohol, Paige voluntarily entered treatment.
Before admission, she worked with child services to arrange temporary care for Nora.
Not with Vivian.
Why not?
That became the next question.
Nora had been placed with David and Marlene Ellis.
Marlene was Paige and Vivian’s maternal cousin.
Fifty-two.
Elementary-school administrator.
Married.
Two adult children.
Licensed for kinship foster care after an expedited review.
Nora knew them.
Liked them.
Went to the same school.
Paige had selected them.
Vivian was furious.
Why?
She believed Nora should stay:
“with immediate family.”
Meaning her.
But Paige refused.
The caseworker documented Paige’s reason.
“Vivian is controlling and does not respect boundaries regarding Nora.”
There.
Not abuse allegation.
Not danger finding.
History.
Vivian had repeatedly criticized Paige’s parenting.
Had once taken Nora from an after-school program without notifying Paige because she believed Paige sounded impaired on the phone.
That incident was three years earlier.
Paige had actually been sick with influenza, not intoxicated.
Vivian returned Nora after four hours.
No police report.
Family fight.
Then another incident.
Vivian told Nora’s school she was an emergency contact after Paige had removed her.
School corrected the record.
Again:
Control.
By the time Paige entered treatment, she said:
“I want Vivian to have visits. I do not want her making placement decisions.”
The agency accepted that.
Vivian received supervised contact twice a week at first.
Later expanded to unsupervised daytime visits after no safety concerns emerged.
That expansion gave her the opportunity.
May you like
She used it.
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