Chapter 26 - The final parenting hearing
Maeve was eleven months old when the court held the next major review.
Dorian had completed:
Custodial sentence.
Parenting program.
Individual therapy.
Probation compliance.
Regular supervised visits after release.
No violations.
The visitation supervisor reported:
Attentive care.
Appropriate feeding.
Diaper changes.
Response to distress.
No attempts to involve Clarissa.
My attorney argued:
The original coercive scheme remained serious.
The judge agreed.
But courts also look at current parenting capacity and child welfare.
Final temporary-to-longer-term order:
I retained primary physical custody.
Joint legal custody limited? Given forgery and decision-making concerns, maybe sole legal temporarily. Let's be precise.
I received final decision-making authority for:
Medical care.
Childcare.
Residence.
Dorian received consultative rights and access to records.
His parenting time expanded to:
Two unsupervised daytime visits weekly.
Then one overnight every other weekend after a three-month successful transition.
No Clarissa as supervisor or caregiver unless I consented or court later modified.
Exchange through neutral location initially.
Not permanent punishment.
Not instant restoration.
Then Dorian asked:
“Will I ever have equal time?”
The judge said:
“That depends on future facts, not promises today.”
Good.
Outside court, Dorian approached me.
“Morwenna.”
I waited.
“I’m sorry.”
“You’ve said that.”
“I know.”
He looked toward the courthouse doors.
“Then I’ll stop saying it and keep doing the work.”
That was the first apology I believed enough not to answer.
The forged parenting packet was formally returned after evidentiary retention ended, except certified copies remained in court records.
I did not keep the original.
Rebecca asked:
“Want it shredded?”
“Yes.”
We watched the machine take it.
May you like
No ceremony.
Just paper losing power.
