Chapter 5 - Felix
Felix had not been lost.
He was in my parents’ hall closet.
Dana retrieved him during a voluntary home inspection after Helen admitted it.
The stuffed fox smelled like their house.
Laundry detergent and cedar.
When Ethan saw him, he grabbed him.
“Felix!”
Then his face changed.
“Grandpa put high.”
Laura crouched.
“You don’t have to tell us.”
“He says Felix makes me baby.”
She closed her eyes.
No question.
Dr. Grant later explained:
Comfort objects are normal.
Encouraging gradual independence can be normal.
Taking a comfort object as punishment during fear conditioning is different.
The theme was always the same.
Normal things turned into control through context.
Bicycle practice.
Timeout.
Persistence.
Snacks after activity.
None automatically abusive.
But Richard had one rule beneath all rules:
The adult decided when Ethan had suffered enough.
Ethan had no stop signal.
No call to us.
No comfort unless Richard allowed.
That was the problem.
Then Helen made her first real admission.
She met Dana alone.
She said:
“Richard believed Michael became strong because we never let him quit.”
We.
Not he.
Dana asked:
“Did you use the same philosophy with Ethan?”
Helen cried.
“Some.”
“Did Michael and Laura authorize?”
“No.”
“Why not tell them?”
“They would have stopped it.”
There.
Knowledge.
Then:
“Did you believe they had the right to stop it?”
Helen waited too long.
Eventually:
“Yes.”
Meaning she knew even then.
Then Dana asked whether written rules existed.
May you like
Helen said no.
That lie would last two weeks.
