Chapter 21 - David as Emma’s father
I wanted Emma to hate him for a while.
I am ashamed of that.
Not permanently.
Not consciously as a plan.
But when she returned from a supervised visit saying:
“Daddy made me a paper airplane,”
something inside me tightened.
He had broken my leg.
How could she be happy about paper?
Therapy taught me the obvious thing anger had hidden.
Emma’s relationship with David was not mine.
Safety rules belonged to adults.
Emotional loyalty did not.
I never told her:
Daddy is bad.
I said:
“Daddy hurt Mommy. Adults are handling it.”
When she asked:
“Did Daddy mean to break your leg?”
I answered:
“I don’t know if he meant the break. He meant to push me.”
Precise.
Children deserve accuracy too.
David completed parenting education and individual therapy as conditions around expanded contact.
Supervision lasted.
Then transitioned slowly.
No Margaret present.
No discussions of the case with Emma.
No using Emma to deliver messages.
He violated one boundary once by asking:
“Does Mommy still talk about me?”
Emma told me.
Rebecca handled it.
The court warned him.
It did not become a custody apocalypse.
May you like
He improved.
That complicated everything.
