Chapter 17 - Rachel tells me the thing I did not want to hear
Rachel came over one night after Elise finally slept.
She said:
“You’re doing it too.”
“What?”
“Trying to control every variable.”
I nearly threw her out.
Then she explained.
I had created rules for Arthur’s supervised visits beyond what the court required.
Which blanket he could use.
Which bottles.
What words staff should document.
No photographs.
No singing the lullaby Victoria liked.
Tessa had already warned me.
I called it safety.
Rachel called part of it fear.
“You get to protect Elise,” she said. “You don’t get to make Arthur fail the visits.”
That hurt.
Because it was true.
I relaxed the unnecessary rules.
Kept the necessary ones.
No Victoria.
No unapproved transport.
No private residence yet.
No discussion of litigation around the child.
May you like
Safety without domination.
I needed to learn the difference too.
