Chapter 24 - The final parenting order
Ten months after the attack, Sophie was still six.
Owen still four.
Mia was about two months old.
Final parenting order:
Primary residential home with me.
Lucas substantial parenting.
For Sophie and Owen:
One midweek dinner.
Alternating weekends Saturday morning through Sunday evening, with one overnight after sustained compliance.
Because he had progressed safely.
For Mia:
Shorter daytime contact initially, gradually aligning with siblings as feeding and age allowed.
No Valerie contact.
No exposing children to romantic partners without advance notice period? Court avoided moral policing but included reasonable new-partner introduction protocol due conflict.
Joint legal decision-making restored for:
School.
Routine medical care.
Extracurricular activities.
Therapy provider changes required mutual agreement or mediation.
I had temporary tie-breaking authority on trauma therapy for six months because current treatment established.
No using children as messengers.
No recordings for litigation except genuine safety emergencies.
No instructing children to observe, report, or preserve evidence about other parent.
That clause existed because of us.
Then exchanges.
Public location initially.
Could move to school exchanges later.
Parenting app.
No Natalie at exchanges unless emergency.
She complained.
I told her:
“You slapped him.”
“He grabbed me.”
“Still.”
May you like
She accepted.
Eventually.
