Chapter 18 - My daughter is born
At thirty-nine weeks and one day, I went into labor.
No emergency from the assault.
No premature birth caused by trauma.
My pregnancy had remained medically stable after the ER monitoring.
Concussion resolved.
Nasal fracture healed without surgery.
Forehead scar faded.
Then labor.
Natalie drove me.
Not Lucas.
Could he attend?
I said no.
Our court order did not give him access to my medical procedure.
But he was notified after birth.
Our daughter:
Mia Ellison.
Seven pounds, six ounces.
Healthy.
Lucas asked for a photo through parenting app.
I sent one.
Not because he deserved intimacy with me.
Because she was his daughter too.
Then newborn parenting.
Family court set brief supervised visits initially because:
Current orders.
No established newborn routine.
High conflict.
Not because he had harmed Mia.
Breastfeeding accommodated without being weaponized.
He held her.
Supervisor reported:
Appropriate.
Cried.
Asked about feeding schedule.
Changed diaper.
Human.
I read the report at 2:00 a.m. while Mia slept on my chest.
I wished he were simpler.
Villains make divorce easier.
May you like
Lucas was a father who loved children and had still used two of them as litigation scenery.
Both were true.
